


Reptile Heists, Iron Maiden, and a Hippie Commune: A Chat Fic

by threeplusfire



Series: Chat Fics with Three and Leon [1]
Category: Hat Films - Fandom, Hatfilms
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pet Store, Angst, Drinking, Fluff, Fumbling through polyamory, M/M, Multi, Smoking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-11
Updated: 2016-04-11
Packaged: 2018-06-01 13:38:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 28,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6521974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/threeplusfire/pseuds/threeplusfire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A long running conversation about the possibilities of romantic comedy involving terrible retail work and love in the age of global economic collapse.</p><p>Alternately - Alex Smith is a terrible, thieving pet store employee, Chris Trott is his long suffering manager, and Ross Hornby is going to vet school.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Three linked me an article about crazy retail stories, and we abruptly blew it into a full fledged AU complete with fluff, angst, and even a little bit of smut. This chatfic is a conversation that happened over the span of several days, and the result was way too good not to share.  
> If anyone ever doubted our ability to turn anything into an AU, let this stand as final proof otherwise.  
> Chapter breaks are between stints of conversation, the rest is fairly standard chatfic formatting.  
> Edited lightly for egregious errors, but I have kept in some of our marginalia as well as keeping the loose and stream of thought formatting and wordings.
> 
> This does need a brief warning for one use of a slur, by a character in reference to himself. Characters do deal with experienced homophobia, but the experiences do not happen in text. Characters smoke and drink in this.  
> The majority of this is SFW, with swearing and mentions of sex however the final two chapters contain graphic sexual content.
> 
> Enjoy!  
> -Leon

**Three** : [ http://www.vice.com/read/stealing-exotic-pets-rigging-the-drive-thru-and-other-stories-of-workplace-scams ](http://www.vice.com/read/stealing-exotic-pets-rigging-the-drive-thru-and-other-stories-of-workplace-scams)

okay the first one about the pet store

**Leon** : incredible

Alex Smith

**Three** : YES

**Leon** : as a petco employee

**Three** : yesssssss

**Leon** : and Ross, as the clueless coworker

and Trott, the manager that knows but really isn’t paid enough to care

**Three** : "Oh my god, what is happening to all the lizards? Trott! What if something is breaking in at night and eating them?!?"

Smith silently laughing behind a distraught Ross

**Leon** : "I don’t think you can eat a baby corn snake Ross. Not much meat on it."

"Have you taken your fifteen yet? Haven’t you been here a while? Go on break before they get on my case"

**Three** : Ross standing around outside on his break anxiously looking for birds or other predators that might be casing the store.

**Leon** : Please imagine: Trott who goes up to the top of the parking garage in the shopping center where this store is located, to smoke and get some peace and quiet. And Smith spends months trying to find out where his hot manager is escaping to when he takes his lunch breaks.

**Three** : hahaha yes

**Leon** : And then when he finds Trott insists on pestering him

**Three** : I'm imagining this as very 80s somehow, so Trott with a walkman and headphones on

**Leon** : eyes closed and one leg dangling over the edge

leaning up against the outside wall of the stairwell

**Leon** : because you can't see there from the top of the stairs, helps avoid people finding him and interrupting him

**Three** : listening to iron maiden

**Leon** : Ross probably sees him there the first day, and is the one who eventually says "oh, you didn't know Trott goes up on the parking garage?"

he just figured he'd let Trott be, and doesn't put two and two together that Smith is going to be obnoxious and go after Trott

**Three** : Poor Ross. The clueless new guy.

**Leon** : Ross can respect that Trott comes back from whatever he's doing up there a LOT calmer than when he leaves the store

and figures it was just common knowledge that Trott needs Space To Decompress

**Three** : Please consider that Smith tries to get Trott's attention by nudging him, and Trott instinctively over-reacts and knocks him flat on his back before he realizes it is Smith and not someone trying to mug him

**Leon** : and now he has to go inside and get the first aid kit because smith has skinned the heels of his hands on the pavement

Trott's split second fear that someone was trying to push him off

poor stressed manager. just wants to listen to iron maiden and smoke, and if he closes his eyes he can pretend he isn’t at work, he's somewhere where no one needs him and he doesn’t have to turn a blind eye to his employee stealing exotic reptiles whenever he works a closing shift with the manager who basically vanishes after 8pm

**Three** : because that other weird manager is frequently just high behind the dumpster

It probably terrifies Smith how easily Trott knocks him down, and also kind of turns him on

**Leon** : Smith doesn't even realize his hands are totally messed up he's just staring at Trott who's frozen, walkman in one hand and standing staring at his employee sprawled on the ground

thinking "oh shit. I am so so so fired. oh fuuuuuuuuuuuck"

Trott's nervous "Oh my god, are you okay? Fuck, let’s get your hands cleaned up. I am so sorry. What the fuck were you thinking pushing someone sitting on the edge of a roof three stories up? Here, into the store manager's office, no, you stay put let me go get the first aid kit from the break room"

Smith just following him with his hands outstretched because now that the shock of being bowled over by the surprisingly strong Chris Trott has worn off his hands sting like hell

Trott leaves his walkman on the desk, and curious Smith gingerly puts the headphones on, trying not to get blood on them. Presses play and immediately has to yank them off again because Trott listens to his music waaaaay too loud.

**Three** : "But why were you sitting on the edge of the roof?" Smith wincing while they clean the gravel and grit out of his palms. He'd be enjoying the close attention more if his hands didn't sting so much. "And what the fuck are you listening to so loud, you're gonna go deaf."

**Leon** : "None of your business, and also none of your business, and since when should you care about my future hearing capabilities?"

Now that the panic about getting fired for assaulting an employee has faded some, because remarkably Smith doesn't seem pissed, Trott's had time to regain some of his stressed testiness

**Three** : "But..." Smith shuts up in the face of Trott's irritable tone, looking glum. "I was going to ask if you wanted to go check out this band with me, Thursday, I know you're not working."

**Leon** : Trott narrows his eyes at Smith. He has opinions about not hanging out with his coworkers. But he also likes music, and Smith is also attractive. For all that he is a filthy reptile thief.

**Three** : "Am I fired?" Smith asks, nervous and trying not to flinch at the antiseptic.

**Leon** : "What? No. No you're not fired. But I don't think you should work for the rest of the day." His hands aren't too bad, but Trott's going to have to put a lot of tape and gauze pads over them.

He considers who is going to be coming in later. No one who cares.

**Three** : "Oh thank god." Smith sags with relief. "Fuck, I thought you were going to fire me."

**Leon** : "How are you on hours? I can punch you out when you're supposed to clock out if you need me to"

He's still trying to desperately keep Smith from thinking that he could get Trott fired. Trott hates his job, but he needs it

And as Smith has illustrated with his reptile antics, security is VERY lax, and he doubts he'd get caught.

**Three** : "Seriously?" Smith looks at him dubiously. He desperately wants to know what Trott's deal is. He's gone from being hot, aloof manager to hot, aloof manager who maybe has some secret.

**Leon** : "Smith, they don't pay me enough to care about giving you a few hours you would have go anyways if I hadn't shoved you onto the pavement"

**Three** : That makes Smith grin. He almost squeezes Trott's hand where it is holding his, smoothing the tape down. "Okay, sure. Sounds good."

**Leon** : "Just don't go spreading it around? Also don't go telling people I go up on the roof. I go there for some peace and quiet. Not to be interrupted by people wanting to know if I want to go see bands." Trott raises his eyebrows pointedly, and lets go of Smith's newly bandaged hands

"You're all set. Keep those bandages on for at least a few hours. And don't get anything in the cuts and if you do for the love of god put some antibacterial ointment on it"

**Three** : "Ross told me," Smith says defensively. He hugs his hands to his chest. They're going to hurt a lot, and he's already thinking he won't be able to hold a guitar for shit like this.

**Leon** : "The new guy?" Trott frowns. He's never seen Ross up on the roof, and he wonders how he knew. A problem for another day. "Do you need help getting your things?"

**Three** : "I'm fine, unless you want to pull my car keys out of my pocket for me." Smith regrets it the moment it leaves his mouth but he cannot stop himself some days.

**Leon** : Trott give his best fed up stare, but looks at Smith's hands and really doesn't want those bandages to need to be redone.

He's about out of tape.

So he rolls his eyes and as non-sexually as possible slips two fingers into Smith's pocket to hook onto the key ring and pull out Smith's keys.

**Three** : Smith holds his breath, unable to believe this is happening. He gives Trott a shaky smile and takes the keys. "Thanks. See you Wednesday?" He slinks out, trying not to explode from the laughter and delight bubbling in his chest. Waves at a very confused Ross on his way out the door.

**Leon** : Trott gives himself a minute in the store manager’s office. He doesn’t have enough of his break left to go have another cigarette, to his dismay. So he just waits for a while and goes back to try to man a register and get through the rest of the day

avoiding Ross' curious looks

**Three** : Poor Ross. He is the store's confused, slightly oblivious puppy. He's not even fully aware of his crush on Smith and the way he follows him around, and definitely not aware that reptiles don't escape their cages so often without outside help. But he's nice, and he frequently brings homemade cookies to work.

**Leon** : Trott was the one to initially show Ross around the store, and so he will always have that Important Manager shine for Ross

and then when Trott had more important things to do he was passed off to Smith

who is actually a good employee and knows his shit

and so Ross got used to following him around for guidance, and Smith loves an audience

especially when it’s a really cute audience

**Three** : A cute audience who will gladly do whatever it is you ask them to do

**Leon** : Ross who does all the least favorite tasks

sorting out the bins of cheap cat and dog toys, that are always getting mixed up

**Three** : Smith's only real misery about hurting his hands is that it renders jerking off impossible.

**Leon** : considers asking his roommate tom for a sympathy blowjob, because he really wants to get off to the thought of Trott pinning him and shoving him around

he will resolutely deny to himself that manager Trott is one of his favorite fantasy subjects

he just sees Trott a lot, it’s not like he has anyone ELSE to fantasize about, it’s not like he has FEELINGS for his manager

**Three** : Tom giving him a look, laughing and telling him to hump his pillow like any teenage girl knows how to do, he'll be fine.

**Leon** : Smith flopping on the sofa and groaning, covering his face gingerly with his hands

"Come on Tom please? I'll do the dishes for a week"

"Two weeks?"

"I'm suffering Tom."

**Three** : "Suffering's good for you. Fuck a pillow, you'll feel better."

**Leon** : "UUUUUGH"

**Three** : Tom knows better than to trust Smith's promises to do dishes

**Leon** : Smith just goes to bed, because it’s too degrading to fuck a pillow and pretend his manager is fucking him.

he doesn’t have much shame, but he has that much

and maybe it’s just because he knows that if he shuts his door Tom will KNOW that's what he's doing

but Smith resolutely refuses to sink that low

so he leaves the door open and tries to fall asleep, maybe if he thinks about it enough before bed he'll have really vivid dreams

**Three** : Poor Smith

Tom sagely asking in the morning if he should make breakfast for Smith's pillow, if Smith remembered to use protection, don't want a bunch of throw pillows crowding up the place

**Leon** : "I didn't fuck my pillow Tom, go shove a rolling pin up your ass"

Smith growls from around his mediocre store brand coffee

**Three** : "No wonder you're so goddamn cranky then."

**Leon** : "He /can't be straight Tom. He can't. I refuse to think he's straight."

Tom just nods his head, these conversations are common with Smith

Time will tell if he's talking about Hot Manager Trott or Hot New Guy Ross

**Three** : Tom's good at the encouraging noncommittal noise while he makes extra toast.

**Leon** : Smith stole a snake for Tom. That's how he got started

Tom said "You couldn't."

**Three** : hahah awww

**Leon** : and Smith was like

"Wanna fucking bet"

because Tom's been wanting a snake for ages and Smith was like

"I bet I could steal one while Barry is closing, he's always getting high on the clock"

**Three** : So now Tom's built this whole elaborate reptile habitat around the house

**Leon** : Tom, the anti animal cruelty advocate

**Three** : yesss

has a nice day job with the organization promoting animal welfare

does PR work

**Leon** : Shall we make Ross in school to be a vet?

Ran a dog walking business for a few summers

likes to do the obedience classes

**Three** : yes, adorable

**Leon** : Trott's just there because he needs a job, Smith the musician who needs to pay bills

**Three** : Ross is so painfully earnest

Trott feels doubly cynical around him

**Leon** : Trott mentally refers to him as "sunshine and flowers"

and accidentally slips and calls him sunshine at some point

**Three** : Ross doesn't say anything about it, but is quietly happy because that doesn't usually happen! Trott must be pleased with the work he's done reorganizing the pet food section!

**Leon** : Ross the sucker for Trott’s few and far between "Nice work"s and "good job"s

**Three** : He cherishes them all

**Leon** : "Smith! Trott told me I did a good job with the seasonal display!"

Smith says to Trott later "You're going soft. I remember when you used to threaten to toss slackers in with the poison dart frogs"

**Three** : "He'd have a heart attack if I did that. Besides, he did do a nice job. Unlike you, slacker."

**Leon** : "Hey! I sold one of those over priced water dishes earlier don't you call me a slacker!"

**Three** : Trott snorting a laugh at that.

Please consider Tom coming in to buy mice to feed to his snake.

**Leon** : yes

Tom who chats up Ross, asks him about the animals

**Three** : Ross who is so earnest and enthusiastic about talking about the animals, completely oblivious to Tom's flirting which is making Smith grit his teeth

**Leon** : Trott catches Smith staring at Tom vengefully

and rolls his eyes and walks the other way

**Three** : this is very cute

**Leon** : awkward pet store employees

Smith starts taking Ross up to Trott's hideout to make out

**Three** : oh my god Smith

**Leon** : he would though

**Three** : he would

especially if they closed together

**Leon** : yep

coordinates their lunch breaks

takes them later, so there are less customers

and they go up and kiss in the shadows where the lamps on the parking lot don't quite reach

Ross is very concerned about getting caught of course

Smith has all the carefree cockiness of the recently scored makeouts with at least one of my work crushes

and all the jadedness of "I’ve worked this job too long"

**Three** : does Ross even know that's why they go up there in the first place?

**Leon** : of course he doesn’t

"hey Ross, want to come eat on the roof of the garage with me?"

"You need to take your lunch still right?

**Three** : Ross with his carefully packed lunches and cherry cokes

**Leon** : always leftovers from whatever he cooked the night before

smith with the same peanut butter and jelly sandwiches

sometimes if he's REALLY daring, he'll change the flavor of the jelly

oblivious Ross

"It’s nice up here at night; I never would have thought it would be.

But the lights look pretty. I can see why Trott likes it up here"

His reheated chicken and mashed potatos steaming, because it’s chilly out

**Three** : Smith taking the opportunity to scoot close because of the cold, resting his chin on Ross' shoulder

**Leon** : Ross freezing in surprise, fork halfway to his mouth

(Ross has a star wars lunch box. Ross packs real silverware with his food.)

(Smith finds this painfully endearing)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the chapter with the slur. Things get angsty.

**Three** : I went to bed last night and consoled my sick self with thoughts of shy, ridiculous vet student Ross getting nuzzled by the irresponsible, unbelievable Smith

**Leon** : yes

these are good thoughts

**Three** : Also I just headcanon that Ross bakes a LOT of cookies while he is studying because he is a stress snacker and then ends up bringing cookies to work

**Leon** : Ross not quite sure where he's supposed to put his hands when Smith startles him and kisses him up against the wall

Ross is a baking procrastinator

**Three** : Trott is reluctantly endeared by this because the cookies are good

**Leon** : Ross insists on sending him home with some

he always brings ziploc baggies

because he has SO MANY cookies at home

**Three** : "Look, Trott, I kind of accidentally made about ten dozen cookies so it would really be a favor if you helped me by taking some." Ross has already pre-bagged cookies.

**Leon** : shoving them into Trott's hands

"no give backs"

**Leon** : holding his hands behind his back and Trott just flaps a hand at him and dumps the half dozen baggies each with a few cookies in it into his locker

Trott either lives alone, or with like four other people in a shared house

I think Ross lives by himself in a tiny little studio apartment by his school

**Three** : and Smith lives in the reptile pit with Tom

**Leon** : yes indeed

I sort of like the idea of Trott living with a bunch of people he's not really close with

**Three** : yeah

**Leon** : a group of friends that needed a fourth or fifth to take the last bedroom

it was cheap, and it was close to work, and the landlord is some old guy who doesn’t care if you smoke inside.

so he just holes himself up in his room most of the time

**Three** : old, rattly house with big porches

**Leon** : Weird tall windows and high ceilings, which almost makes his little room, feel smaller

**Three** : I sort of imagine Trott as a tom petty/izzy stradlin esque character in this, living in the top of the house and smoking on the windowsill at night, headphones on

**Leon** : absolutely, his window opens onto the roof

so he rests his feet outside and tries to ignore his roommates

reads a lot. Everything from paperback romance to stuff he never got to in lit courses

**Three** : one of them probably has a vegan girlfriend who makes awful gluten free cookies with no sugar

**Leon** : Trott scavenges a lot from whatever was made for dinner

they split groceries and just buy things they individually want

Trott with his careful hoard of booze and candy bars

**Three** : yesss

**Leon** : a number of the people he lives with are students

Trott's graduated but hasn't got a "real job"

so they've all got similar schedules and often eat without him

they're not bad people but he is a criminal recluse and cranky and jaded because he has work at 6am dammit please don't have a party come on we keep our schedules on the fridge for a REASON

**Three** : Ross who lives in his little studio, and tries to neatly block out his classes, works two afternoons during the week and on the weekends

wishes he had time and space for a dog

**Leon** : Consider this: Trott's car needs to go for repairs at some point, and the bus doesn’t run late enough for him to catch because the closing manager called out and he has to pull a double

so Smith, the gentleman, offers to drive him home

**Three** : Smith, such a gentleman

**Leon** : Trott very nearly tells him to just stop at the top of the street

he's not entirely sure if he wants Smith to know where he lives

or how he lives

Smith is of course DESPERATE to take advantage of this opportunity to chat with Trott outside of work

so he insists on dropping Trott off. Walking him to the door

**Three** : Trott insults Smith's music in the car

**Leon** : (Trott makes him a mix tape/cd)

**Three** : heated discussions about bands and musical genres!

**Leon** : "musical re-education phase 1" he titles it

Smith scoffs

but this implies there might be a phase 2

or even 3

**Three** : phases could be like bases, smith thinks

**Leon** : and that makes Smith very very pleased and giddy

Smith with a cocky "look if you hate my music so much loan me something" as he parks in the overgrown drive Trott points out to him

**Three** : Trott flipping through the stacks of cassettes in smith's car, making noises

**Leon** : when Trott opens the door to the house with Smith standing in the halo of the porch light, his roommates of course heckle him for not inviting the guy in

so now he's boxed in, and mumbles through some haphazard introductions

prays he got roommate’s girlfriend's name right

and herds Smith off to his room, because while he's in here, he might as well go home with some decent music

Smith is very surprised by this whole thing.

**Three** : And a threat not to say one word to anyone at work about Trott's home life

**Leon** : he's not sure what he expected from the home of Chris Trott but this was really not it

**Three** : Trott's room is probably carefully ordered chaos, not super messy but just messy enough, and there's a lot of books and cassettes and albums and a guitar or two, and surprising curtains, and it seems like Trots much more colorful outside of work.

**Leon** : So what do we think, does Trott need a little angst? I think he needs a little angst, we've gone this far, might as well go all the way right. Trott who came out to his parents after he was away at college. They took it badly and he's very estranged from them now. Finished his school on the academic scholarships because he studied his way through straight A's while working to pay rent in another housing situation similar to this one

Smith sitting on Trott's bed, picking at the colorful quilted bedspread while Trott flips through a shoebox of cassettes and give Smith considering glances

**Three** : Lonely hipster, far from home, drifting and uncertain about what he wants to do with life.

**Leon** : "So what's your deal Trott? I don't really know anything about you" Smith hates silences, and Trott hasn't said a word other than "have a seat" since they came up here

It's maddening to Smith, to feel like he had such a vivid picture of Trott, and such a good knowledge of who Trott was, only to realize that that image was blank. He'd just fooled himself into thinking otherwise

**Three** : "Why do you need to know anything, Smith?" Trott crouching there, looking at him. Trott who had a bad time when he came out, lost some friends, still not certain of his footing with people when they find out about him.

He can't figure out Smith's game, what's genuine and what's just Smith fooling around, and that makes Trott uneasy.

**Leon** : "I dunno, I just want to I guess. You don't really talk about yourself much at work, I mean I feel like I found out more about you as a person in the last half hour with you shredding my music taste and me seeing your house than I got in the past two years"

Trott, about to protest that it hasn't been two years, but stops himself because it absolutely has

**Three** : "Can I?" Smith asks, pointing at the guitar beside the bed and Trott almost says no. But he just shrugs, and Smith picks it up gently and all of the sudden it is clear he actually does know what he's doing when he starts to play something. Trott's chest aches and he's holding his breath, somehow surprised that Smith is capable of playing.

"What do you like to play?" Smith asks, strumming through a set of chords that sounds like the beginning of a song Trott likes.

**Leon** : "Not much of anything, anymore. Not like I used to. Just old songs I wrote. Pick out stuff from the radio until I get bored with it." Trott decides on a few tapes, tosses them onto the bed beside Smith. Hauls his window open because he just wants to hear Smith play for a while now, sitting half in and half out, the sounds of crickets and the street on one side, Smith playing something surprisingly bluegrassy, considering what he was playing in the car

Watching Smith's half familiar half strange hands move on his guitar. It feels way more intimate than it should, letting someone actually play his guitar. Roommates fucking around trying to figure out how to even hold it is worlds different than Smith's easy music

**Three** : Smith can feel him watching, and it's strange and wonderful and terrifying and nice all at once. Segues through things he knows, songs he likes while Trott smokes on the windowsill and it's just the little lamp light and the dark outside the window, and Smith wants this to last forever.

**Leon** : Trott leaning his head against the edge of the window. Startled when he realizes Smith's stopped and is looking at him with a question in his eyes.

"Sorry, was zoning out" he starts to say even as Smith says "You should play" and holds out the guitar to him

Trott freezes for a second, before climbing down from his perch to gingerly take his guitar from Smith's hands. Tries not to pay too much attention to the scant second where Smith's hands brushed his, but his mind is still dwelling on that surprising touch so he doesn’t even realize he's settled onto the mattress beside Smith

Starts playing before he even realizes what he's doing, something he wrote a long time ago and can basically play in his sleep

**Three** : Smith listens with barely contained wonder, watching Trott's fingers move, and it sounds good. Whatever he thought Trott was in private, the real Trott is so much more fascinating and puzzling. The song doesn't sound anything like the loud buzz of Trott's headphones at work.

**Leon** : Trott stops. Letting the last notes hum through the wood of the guitar

**Three** : "That's really good," Smith blurts out.

**Leon** : "It had words at one point. I've forgotten them though"

Shrugs, idly playing chords as he tries to cover the intensity of his shock that he just played something for someone for the first time in years. Hoping he can remember something catchy and likely to be familiar to Smith

**Three** : "Were you in a band?" Smith is dying to know.

**Leon** : Trott looks up at him through his bangs, sighs and figures he doesn’t have much left to lose

"Yeah. Had a bit of a falling out. Was my fault really"

His fault for being gay, and telling them about it and expecting them to just continue like old times, he adds mentally

**Three** : Smith makes a sad face. "That's a shame. I would have liked to have heard you play."

**Leon** : "Well you just did. One night only, here for your questionable entertainment"

**Three** : Smith grins brightly. "I've cheated you, I didn't even pay cover at the door."

**Leon** : "You drove me home. That’s worth a song surely." Trott smiles. He doesn’t smile often, but Smith's happiness is infectious.

**Three** : Trott's smiling, and Smith is over the moon about it. "I'll drive you around more, if that's what it takes."

**Leon** : "Don't count on it" Trott would like to chase the promise of what that entails, friendship, maybe even a shot at dating someone for the first time in ages. But he really doesn't want to mix up work and his personal life. And he's backpedaling hard now, because he feels like he's already gone too far and said too much

**Three** : Smith's smile falters, and he wonders what he said wrong because Trott's pulling away, and all that easy camaraderie is vanishing like smoke.

"Okay, right, whatever you say Trott. Uh. Sorry for keeping you, I'll uh- do you need a ride to work?"

**Leon** : "I can just ride the bus-" Trott feels instantly guilty for the way Smith looks so crushed. Stares down at his hands, still on the guitar. "I guess if you wouldn't mind. I'd like a ride."

**Three** : "I mean, it does guarantee you that I'll show up for work on time, right?"

**Leon** : Trott rolls his eyes. Wonders if Smith is flirting or not. Trott is absolutely not going to fuck one of his employees in a spur of the moment thing with all his roommates downstairs after not hooking up with anyone in ages. But the thought that he maybe could certainly crosses his mind

"Here, figure out something else to play while I get some soda for drinks. Preference?"

**Three** : "7-up? Anything is fine." Smith takes the guitar and checks the tune, tapping his fingers down the strings.

He wonders if Trott likes Cash, tries to remember a song.

**Leon** : Trott goes down the stairs and ducks into the kitchen, grabbing a few probably clean glasses and some ice. Makes sure to refill the trays after flipping off the two empty ones that had been left. Ignores the curious looks from his roommates as he takes the steps two at a time and tries not to drop any of the cans of soda or glasses

Smith's playing something else, and he's singing now

and Trott has to stop outside the door for a moment because he is startled and a bit overwhelmed by how good Smith sounds, barely muffled through the door

**Three** : Smith's just lost enough in it that he doesn't stop when Trott opens the door again, and he grins his acknowledgement through the chorus as he finds his footing in one of his favorites. "Sorry, I hope that wasn't too loud for your housemates?"

**Leon** : "After all the times I've listened to them having obnoxious parties, or really loud sex, they can deal with some music"

**Three** : Smith laughs delightedly.

"God, I'm so lucky all I have to deal with is Tom yelling at the television every so often. I just have the one housemate."

**Leon** : "That must be nice." Trott cracks open a can of 7-up for Smith, carefully pouring so it doesn’t spill over onto his desk.

"Do you want anything in this? Or just the soda?"

**Three** : "Whiskey?" Smith hazards, wondering if he's tripping over whatever line they have about being coworkers if he has a drink. But he can see the bottle on Trott's desk. "If you are, that is."

**Leon** : "Whiskey it is." He makes himself the same drink too,  passing a glass carefully to Smith. "Try not to get you drunk. You do have to drive home."

Trott wants to lie on his floor and listen to Smith play songs all night. And neither of them have work until late.

**Three** : "Just the one," Smith promises. "I'm only an irresponsible jerk at work."

**Leon** : "No comment" but Trott smiles to soften his sarcasm

He settles in the window again as Smith kicks off his shoes and sits more fully on the bed, leaning against the headboard and crossing his ankles

Trott can see a hole in the bottom of one of his socks

**Three** : Smith takes up playing Tom Petty, cause that's easy chord work he could do without thinking, half singing along. This is nice, and definitely better than anything he'd planned on doing with his Wednesday night. He can see Trott sitting in the window, the little glow of his cigarette, and Smith's got that yearning in the pit of his stomach again. Worse than a crush, it feels all to hopeless and possible at the same time.

**Leon** : Between the alcohol and being exhausted from work, Trott lets himself relax a bit, feeling tired. He wants out of his work clothes, but he also doesn’t want to change into pajamas while Smith is here. So he just untucks his shirts and tugs off the dress shirt he wears over a t-shirt. Chucks it towards the chair so it won't get too wrinkled before tomorrow

slides off his belt and tosses it on the floor, trying not to feel too much like he's doing an almost strip tease

without thinking he joins Smith on the chorus of the next song, harmonizing without thinking like he used to in the band

**Three** : Smith can feel his cheeks hurting from the smile he can't seem to get rid of when Trott sings along with him. It sounds good, great even, the two of them. He has to look down at his hands to try and control his expression.

**Leon** : In between Smith's songs, when he's half playing snippets of things and humming aimlessly Trott feels like he's got a hundred questions he can't quite figure out how to ask

**Three** : Smith's almost afraid if he stops playing the moment will end, Trott will chase him out and he'll never get this close to knowing who Trott really is again

**Leon** : "What do you really want to do Smith? I can't imagine you set out wanting to work as an underpaid pet store employee." Trott asks before he can talk himself out of it again, and Smith starts playing something else

**Three** : "Kind of just wanted to be in a band. Play songs. Or competitive eater. I can eat a lot. Dunno." He lets his head fall back against Trott's headboard, which feels solid and smooth, real wood, grown up furniture. "What about you? Did you grow up dreaming about being a cranky store manager?"

**Leon** : "My parents wanted me to be a doctor. I had the grades for it. I think I probably wanted to be a paleontologist when I was a kid. Obviously I'm neither of those things"

He can't help how bitter he sounds

Probably has a degree that was lining him up for med school, but is basically useless to him now because he never really wanted that in the first place, but finished it out because he was too far along

**Three** : "Sorry I didn't- I'm really good at putting my foot in it but I don't know how to make a career out of that." Smith grimaces. "I've always been a directionless guy, which my parents wish I'd grow out of."

**Leon** : "My parents mostly wished I'd just grow out of being a fag, probably even more than they wished I'd be a doctor" It’s out before he can stop himself, and he just stares wide eyed at Smith and waits for the evening to come crashing down around him.

**Three** : Smith almost laughs, because Trott looks so surprised but he doesn't. He plays a couple chords, and gives Trott a little smile. "Yours and mine both, eh? Do yours send you little religious cards about how your immortal soul is in danger? I'm building a collection of religious tracts on the subject."

Smith's mother calls him and cries on the phone about once a month, wanting him to come back to church.

His dad just pretends nothing is happening.

**Leon** : "I haven't spoken to my family in years. For all they know I'm dead" he tries to make it sound joking, but it falls terribly flat

And he is now painfully aware that Smith is in his bedroom, and possibly interested, and that is terrifying

**Three** : "I'm sorry, Trott. That's awful." At least Smith's parents still talk to him, and he's pretty sure they care even if they don't understand and his mother cries a lot.

**Leon** : "It's not so bad. Better than the yelling. And hey, I have the charming company you met downstairs"

**Three** : "Still, that's rough." Smith would feel more excited about knowing Trott is gay if he didn't also feel sad thinking that maybe Trott's just really unhappy.

**Leon** : "I try not to think about it much. It’s done." Trott is uncomfortable with the way Smith has paused playing and is looking at him all worried

**Three** : "Shit, Trott." Smith looks down at the guitar, starts picking out a new song. He can never be sad with certain Tom Petty songs, so maybe it will help Trott. He mostly knows the words to Free Falling, anyhow.

**Leon** : Trott knows the words too, but he doesn't sing. Just watches Smith play and finishes his drink. He feels like he needs to tell Smith to leave, because this feels too good to be true.   And he'll do something stupid here and he doesn't want to have to deal with that at work.

**Three** : When he finishes, Smith reaches for his drink and takes a long swallow. Trott's just kind of watching him, and Smith can feel that something of the ease of earlier is gone. "I uh, I won't say anything at work. If that's what you're thinking. I'm a jerk but I'm not stupid."

With great care, he puts Trott's guitar back on the little stand at the foot of the bed.

**Leon** : "Oh. Thanks." Trott hadn't even thought to worry about that, so surprised by the unexpected turn his usual worries about being terribly closeted all the time hadn't had time to resurface. "And thank you for the ride. Earlier. And this" Trott gestures between them lamely.

**Three** : "I'll take any excuse to play, especially if someone wants to listen." Especially for someone he wants to kiss so badly . Smith fantasizes for a moment about just getting up and doing that, but thinks Trott might just chuck him right out the open window and it's a couple stories down to the ground. "You haven't even yelled at me once for my musical taste."

**Leon** : "Seems like once I get you out of your car they aren’t so bad. Or just hearing someone actually play it makes it better"

Trott wants to ask him to stay, but they've reached that point of conversation where Trott knows he has to show Smith to the door, and then come back up to his empty and silent room, with the quiet guitar that minutes before Smith had been playing more than it’s been played in months

**Three** : Smith grins at him, glancing up from where he's sitting on the end of the bed trying to wriggle his feet back into his shoes without unlacing them.

He's dragging it out, not wanting to go.

“What time do you want me to get your, tomorrow?”

**Leon** : "Uh, two?" They close again, and Trott's shift starts at three. But he wants to make sure they'll get there in time and Smith is notoriously late.

**Three** : "Two. Got it." Smith looks around. "I guess I should let you go to bed."

**Leon** : "Yeah. I'll show you out. So my roommates don't start asking you insensitive questions"

**Three** : "Do they know?" Smith wonders if Trott feels safe in his own home. He feels very lucky that he's got his friend Tom.

**Leon** : "No. Well, at least I've never told them. They've probably guessed. We're not close, in case you couldn't tell." Trott thinks his roommate probably figure he is either gay, has a really weird sex life they see nothing of, or just don't care enough to wonder why he never takes anyone home with him

**Three** : Smith aches, wanting to offer Trott everything he's got. There's the smallest glimpse of Trott's life and it seems achingly lonely, and Smith just wants to put his arms around Trott and not let go of him.

"Well, you've got my number right? If anything comes up or you need me to come sooner, just call..."

**Leon** : "I won't need to. But thanks for the offer Smith."

Trott is surprised how much he'd like to have Smith come over

it feels so much nicer, having some company

**Three** : Wistfully, Smith waves goodnight. He can't risk leaning in to kiss Trott, not somewhere his roommates could see. He drives home, listening to one of Trott's tapes and feeling that weird stomach flipping sensation that means he's way too into Trott.

Tom's asleep and Smith crawls into bed and tries not to think about how good Trott looks playing guitar.

**Leon** : Trott stands on the porch and watches Smith get into his car with a little wave. He stands outside even after Smith's driven off, not wanting to face the inevitable stares of his roommates. He's never had anyone over in the time they've lived together. And he doesn’t know how to answer their questions

When he does go back in everyone seems to have vanished off to their rooms, the TV in the living room is off, and only the light over the stove in the kitchen is on

Trott locks the door dutifully and trudges back up to his room. He wishes Smith had had a jacket and left it, there’s the faintest ghost of Smith left in the room and Trott wishes he had something more concrete than rumbled blankets and a glass leaving condensation on his nightstand

**Three** : well there we go, we stuck angst into a perfectly happy au

**Leon** : oopsie


	3. Chapter 3

**Leon** : I have spent considerable time thinking about how to make the pet store employees happy because I do feel slightly bad subjecting them to such angst

**Three** : poor boys

I bet Smith tries to be slightly less of his usual dickish self at work

**Leon** : I was thinking that he might talk to Ross some. That he worries about Trott because Ross is nice and sweet, and is somehow immune to the crankiness of Trott. He's the one that suggest Ross pawn off leftover baked goods on Trott

**Three** : Ross starts trying to feed Trott on a regular basis

not just cookies, but oh look I made a ton of this, Trott do you want some for dinner?

**Leon** : Trott takes a paper plate with reheated lasagna out to the roof

**Three** : Ross doesn't even question the idea that Trott might appreciate some home cooked food. He just starts making bigger dishes all the time, because he likes cooking.

**Leon** : Consider that Ross invites Trott to some picnic, people playing music and cheap food. Because he likes Trott, I don't know why everyone is always avoiding him, he's not going to baby you but if you do your job it's fine. And Trott likes music.

Smith is very pleased by this

he's taken it upon himself to Get Trott Friends

**Three** : One of those summer afternoon music festivals in the park

Ross, for all that he's dopey and slightly oblivious to some things, is actually a pretty decent employee. He shows up, and doesn't complain.

**Leon** : Ross might be slightly oblivious to Smith hitting on him, but he works hard and knows his stuff when it comes to animals

great at customer service and getting people what they need and want

and he makes the best displays

**Three** : I'm imagining Ross wistfully watching people throw Frisbees for dogs while Trott eats

**Leon** : Trott shows up to this picnic in jeans and a dress shirt. But not one of the ones he wears to work, plaid of course. He’s rolled up the sleeves. Probably spent the better part of the afternoon worrying about how he was supposed to dress for this. It’s in the park so he shouldn’t wear something too nice, but he did also get asked out so he feels like he has to look good.

Ross is delighted when dogs run over to their table

**Three** : Ross is wearing a nerdy star wars shirt

**Leon** : he feeds them little pieces of hot dog

I think Smith invited himself along, or Ross said "you should come too!" because Smith was standing nearby when Ross told Trott

which helps, because otherwise Trott might not have gone. It would feel too much like a date. But this is just hanging out with coworkers. Weird as it feels.

**Three** : Ross has enthusiastically invited them both because they both like music! And food! And Ross just wants a reason to get out of the house and be outside that isn't work or school.

**Leon** : Ross and Smith tossing a Frisbee back and forth while Trott watches from a picnic table

drinking lemonade and enjoying himself more than he thought he would, even if the music isn’t that great

**Three** : Smith panting and fanning himself with a paper plate

**Leon** : Sitting next to Trott while Ross chases a dog that’s made off with their Frisbee

Steals chips off of Trott's plate

**Three** : Trott giving him the raised eyebrow

**Leon** : "Come on, like you were going to eat those. They've been sitting there this whole time" Smith pops another chip in his mouth

The amount he wants to kiss Trott is ridiculous, because he's giddy from running around and Trott looks good in his stupid shirt that’s way nicer than it needed to be for an afternoon in the park

**Three** : "Some of us aren't bottomless pits with mouths, and take our time. But you can have it anyways."

Trott's actually kind of enjoying not being cooped up or alone.

Ross jogging up, looking faintly pink from all the sun, grinning. "God, I’m hungry all over again."

**Leon** : Smith just points at him and looks at Trott like "See!? Ross knows what's what"

**Three** : Trott rolls his eyes.

Ross gets everyone snow cones

because Ross wants a snow cone

**Leon** : Smith gets every flavor of syrup on his

Ross of course like the blue

and Trott gets cherry flavor

**Three** : "Blue's not a flavor."

"It is a flavor. It's just not a "real" flavor."

"WTF Ross."

**Leon** : So because I can’t help maybe a tiny bit more angst

I was thinking about this last night

Smith stealing Trott's spot to smooch Ross

and Trott of course getting peeved because a) that’s my spot, b) you two are on break at WORK and c) goddamnit now I feel like I’ve lost my shot with Smith

**Three** : Ross being startled and confused and apologetic because he's sure Trott is mad at him for sneaking off during break

**Leon** : Trott does yell at them, quietly, so as not to make too much of a scene "Go to the break room for the rest of your breaks for the love of god and I don't want to hear a word about this from either of you"

Trott being sulky and quiet for the rest of the evening, Smith tries to catch him on his way out but Trott goes home before he can talk to him

Ross is very worried they are going to get fired; Smith is just worried because Trott seemed very upset

so, because Smith is champion of "half thought through plans" he goes by Trott's house after he gets off work

**Three** : oh Smith

**Leon** : throws gravel at Trott's window and hopes he's not got his music turned up too loud

nearly hits Trott in the head when he finally opens the window

**Three** : Trott with a complete look of WTF and irritation

Going down and outside, making it look like he's going out, because like hell is he letting Smith in

**Leon** : "Come on, let's walk." He doesn’t want to let his roommates overhear this, or see them. Especially if this turns shouty

Starts walking down the street without waiting to see if Smith is following

**Three** : Hands jammed in his pockets, shoulders hunched

"Trott, wait up, Christ."

**Leon** : Trott slows his pace a little bit, and Smith jogs to catch up. He keeps quiet for a while, a couple streetlamps distance, because he can't quite figure out what to say

"look if you want to sack me fine Trott, just let Ross keep his job, he's a much better employee than me anyways."

it’s not what he meant to say, but it’s something

**Three** : "No one's getting fired." Trott's unhappy and doesn't want to be having this conversation.

"You really didn't have to come out here just for this."

**Leon** : "Trott, what's going on with you, I mean I know I shouldn’t have been making out with Ross at work but this isn’t about that is it"

**Three** : "There's nothing going on with me, Smith, nothing at all. Why are you here?"

**Leon** : "Because you're my friend Trott, and I don't like seeing you mad so I wanted us to talk about it"

Smith isn't even going to get into the "nothing going on" comment because that’s a recipe for Trott to shut down even more

**Three** : Trott's aware of how petty and ridiculous he's being. He's painfully aware that Smith's the first guy he's known for sure was gay and he felt interested in pursuing in who knows how long, and there's something juvenile about being jealous that he was kissing Ross but he can't help it.

"I didn't even know Ross..." Trott trails off, gesturing vaguely.

**Leon** : "I mean me neither until very recently. I don't know if Ross really knew, I just sort of went for it one evening" Smith smiles, trying to lighten the mood a bit

**Three** : "Of course you did." Trott kicks a rock, scuffing his shoes on the concrete. "Look, there's no rules about employees dating, just try not to make it obvious at work." Trott's miserable about it, and mad at himself for even thinking Smith would be interested.

**Leon** : "We're not really dating Trott. I mean maybe I'd like to be." he sighs. Trott looks sad in that way he does sometimes that makes Smith want to wrap his arms around his shoulders and pet his hair until the tension bleeds away "I'll behave at work though. At least in that respect"

**Three** : "You just in the habit of making out with everyone who catches your fancy?" Trott wonders. He pulls out his lighter and shakes a cigarette out of the half crumpled pack in his pocket. It gives him something to look at other than Smith.

**Leon** : "Not everyone. Not when I don't think it would be appreciated" Smith pauses, watching Trott fuss with his nearly dead lighter, angrily shoving the battered pack of cigarettes back into his jacket. "Not you." He tries to sound offhand about it. Hoping if he makes it sound like it’s not a big deal maybe Trott won't be mad about it

**Three** : "Don't make fun of me," Trott snaps. He feels like all of this was a huge mistake and he's wondering if he's just going to have to quit his job. Maybe he can transfer to some other Petco in another city.

**Leon** : "I'm not making fun of you Trott, why would you think that?" Smith frowns, because that was not the response he was expecting, even if he was bracing for anger

**Three** : Trott takes a long drag off the cigarette before looking at Smith, all the bottled up yearning in his eyes. "Look, I misunderstood. I won't bother you at work. You don't have to throw Ross in my face."

**Leon** : "What? I'm not throwing Ross in your face Trott." Smith stares at Trott, trying to piece together all the things Trott isn't saying. "I'm sorry Trott. I just didn't... I didn't think you'd want me to. I really didn't want to hurt you, I mean obviously you've been hurt more than enough already." Smith is frustrated with his inability to vocalize the constant longing to be there for Trott, while not wanting to break whatever fragile friendship they had.

**Three** : "Right." Trott folds his arms tightly around himself. Smith looks so baffled that Trott thinks maybe it wasn't cruelty after all. He's more mad at himself for being too much of a coward to go after it, whatever the risk would be. The knowledge burns in his chest. "Well. It's fine Smith. Don't worry about it."

**Leon** : "It doesn't feel fine Trott. At least I don't feel like it's fine" Smith feels terribly sad, the way Trott's all curled in on himself. Smith had forgotten what it was like to have Trott be closed off, after the little bits he's relaxed around Smith, and even Ross

**Three** : "It will be. I'm very, very used to not having what I want, Smith. I'll get over it." Trott watches the ember of the cigarette burning.

**Leon** : "Well why can't you have what you want Trott? It’s not like suddenly if I'm interested in Ross I'm not interested in you"

**Three** : "I'm not going to be that guy," Trott says quietly. "I'm not going to hurt someone else just because I want..."

**Leon** : Smith sighs heavily. He feels like Trott's slipping through his fingers, after that fleeting moment he felt like maybe things would be okay. "I bet we could work it out. But if you just want to be friends, or just make nice at work, that's okay Trott. Just tell me what you need from me"

**Three** : Trott swallows the impulse to laugh, hysterical and hurt. "What I need Smith is to stop indulging in the fantasy that I could kiss you without being a jerk, or hurting Ross, or making a mess of my job which is about the only thing I've got going for me as you can see."

**Leon** : "Trott..." Smith doesn't know how to make this better. He wants to say of course Trott can kiss him, everything will be fine. But he's not sure it would be, and he wants to try, but everything else might not work. He tentatively puts a hand on Trott's shoulder, waiting to see if Trott pulls away before he tries to give him a half hug

**Three** : Trott freezes, like a startled animal. He wants to just bury his face in the warmth of Smith's shirt but he can't make himself move.

**Leon** : Smith lets his arm slide around Trott's shoulders, not fully pulling him close but enough that he can squeeze his shoulders and rest his cheek on Trott's head

**Three** : Trott drops his cigarette on the pavement, crushing it under the toe of his worn out sneakers. He wants to say something, but he doesn't know what he could possibly say.

**Leon** : "I'm sorry I made such a mess of things Trott." Smith sighs again. He doesn't want to break things off with Ross. But he desperately wants to mend things with Trott. It feels foolish to say to them that maybe it could work out between the three of them.

**Three** : "It's okay, Smith. It will be okay."

**Leon** : Smith nods, and lets Trott go. Tries to pretend that his eyes aren't watering.

He doesn't know how Trott does it, sound so calm in the face of how terrible everything seems

**Three** : Trott looks up at him. "Oh Smith. Don't." Smith looks so miserable and Trott feels guilty.

**Leon** : "Sorry, sorry, I just want things to work out so everyone can be happy"

Wiping at his face with the sleeve of his sweatshirt

**Three** : "You sweet naive bastard." Trott pulls him in for a hug.

**Leon** : "Maybe I'll quit my job and go start working at some other pet store"

Smith hugs Trott tighter than he probably should

**Three** : "Don't do that, you'll get caught stealing if you go work at Petmart."

**Leon** : "Trott! You know about that!?" Smith pulls back to stare at him

**Three** : "Of course I do, I'm not an idiot even if the rest of management is." Trott snorts.

**Leon** : "Oh." Smith considers that, the months he's been not so stealthily sneaking things out

**Three** : Trott just sighs and pats him on the arm.

**Leon** : "I should probably stop doing that. Shouldn't I"

**Three** : Trott shrugs. "Maybe slow it down. Be a little more careful. Maybe lay off for a few months.'

"If anyone at corporate asks, we'll blame it on that guy I'm gonna fire next week."

**Leon** : "Who are you firing?" Smith feels marginally better, now that Trott doesn’t look so much like he's going to run away and never speak to Smith again

**Three** : "Mark, that idiot. He's a pain in the ass, and he keeps missing his shifts."

**Leon** : "Oooh, good. He stole my lunch from the break room once. Jackass"

**Three** : Trott nods, and sighs because it is late. "You should go home, Smith."

**Leon** : "Probably." Smith frowns. "I'll see you tomorrow at work?"

**Three** : "I'll be there." He can't not go to work, just because he's sad. He'll get up and practice his expression until he looks okay.

**Leon** : "Good." Smith is relieved. They turn and head back to the house, and Smith watches Trott, trying to hold onto the last few moments of the evening

**Three** : Trott watches his feet, thinking about how many things he should have done differently. It burned to think how close he came to something really nice, and how he missed. Maybe he'd get drunk over his weekend and write a shitty song about regret.

**Leon** : Smith watches Trott go up the porch steps, and waves as Trott closes the door. He sits in his car in the street until he sees the light in Trott's room go on, and then off again. He hopes Trott's gone to bed, not just gone down the stairs. He thunks his head gently against the steering wheel and fumbles for one of the tapes he still hasn’t given back to Trott

**Three** : Trott lies in bed with his headphones on and tries not to cry. The what ifs are too much. He's mad at himself for even thinking that Ross has enough nice things in his life, he doesn't need Smith too.

**Leon** : Smith goes home and lies on the couch while Tom makes tea and tries to get him to stop shouting because he'll wake the neighbors

Smith continues to profess his idiocy at slightly lower volumes

**Three** : Tom agrees, Smith is a complete idiot. A loveable one, but a total twat.

Tom points out that maybe it is for the best because technically it is a bad idea to kiss your boss.

**Leon** : Smith just puts a pillow over his face and groans

"I know! But maybe if he wasn't my boss... you'd have to get your expensive lamps for the snakes somewhere else"

"You're one to talk, you were fucking your boss at the last place!" Smith removes the pillow to glare accusingly at Tom

**Three** : Tom laughs with relish.

**Leon** : "That's how I know it’s a bad idea"

**Three** : A++ tom


	4. Chapter 4

**Leon** : so how do you want to resolve our sad pet store employees, what direction shall we go

**Three** : so I was thinking

that smith at some point tells Ross about all this

**Leon** : yes, I was thinking similarly

**Three** : because smith feels bad and doesn't know what to do, and maybe Trotts been sort of weird at work

**Leon** : Ross asks Smith if he knows what's up with Trott, he's been even less social than usual and seems sad. And Smith is friends with him, or more friends with him so maybe he knows

**Three** : So Smith spills the story, and he's morose and sad about it, and Ross is just listening very carefully and holding Smith's hand.

Ross finally stops him

Wait. I know this. Wait. Let me find the book."

Ross tears through his shelf looking for the textbooks leftover from the random electives he takes each semester. Finds a book from his sociology class, all about relationships.

**Leon** : Finally that sociology class is good for something

**Three** : "See, look, people totally do this.. Well, maybe not most people here but I bet there's someone who does."

"I don't think it is any weirder than being gay, really..." Ross looking thoughtful.

**Leon** : Smith just staring at him, because Ross' chill is sometimes surprising

for someone who can be very oblivious he also can be very smart about some things

"So you're not mad?"

**Three** : "What?" Ross looks surprised. "No. I'm not mad. I don't own you Smith."

Ross smiles and ruffles Smith's hair. "Why would I be mad?"

**Leon** : Smith face plants into Ross lap because if he does that maybe Ross will keep playing with his hair

**Three** : Ross is quite happy to comb his fingers through Smith's hair

**Leon** : "I dunno, because I've been pining after Trott even when I've got you to kiss? It sounds stupid when I say it but it made sense to my feelings"

Smith rubs his face against Ross' jeans, thinking about what Ross said. He picks up the book and reads the textbook jargon little passage that Ross pointed to again.

**Three** : "I don't really hold with the idea that you're supposed to only ever love one person, or that one person is supposed to be everything." Ross pets Smith. "I mean, my mom didn't really hold much with marriage and that whole traditional thing, so maybe that's why."

Ross' mom is totally some hippie woman who has a series of boyfriends

**Leon** : One boyfriend she always sort of found herself back with, but she saw other people

Didn't marry Ross' father, he was probably a one night stand accident and she raised him on her own

**Three** : yesssss

**Leon** : Ross didn't much consider if he was gay or not because his mother never made an issue of it

It didn't occur to him that there was anything particularly odd about the fact that he felt more interested in men

**Three** : probably got home schooled for quite a few years, with a bunch of other hippie kids

**Leon** : Mother who had a girlfriend or two

**Three** : oh god, I am here for Ross who was raised in some hippie commune

**Leon** : YES

one of his mom's ex girlfriends has a wife and they both have kids from other partners

they're his aunts, clearly

so he spent a lot of time at their place

**Three** : Ross who has a very relaxed view of relationships as a result of this upbringing

His mother probably emphasized it was much more important to be happy and kind, than to be any certain way

**Leon** : absolutely

Ross keeps petting Smith's hair, and thinks maybe he should take Smith home to meet his family and then he wouldn’t feel so bad about Trott

Lets his mind wander as he considers taking Trott too, they could make it a road trip

Smith and Trott would make sure they'd have plenty of music to listen to

his mother only ever had a half dozen tapes and the radio scan didn’t work so they were stuck with whatever presets they'd picked

**Three** : I'm just picturing Ross sitting there thinking really hard about this, wondering how to broach the idea with Trott

**Leon** : "Ross? You okay?" Ross has been staring off into space for about a minute

**Three** : "I'm just wondering what Trott would think. I don't know if we should talk to him together, or if you should cause you're closer to him."

**Leon** : "I should probably talk to him. Maybe you can after I do? So he hears it from you too? He'll probably still say no Ross. Because he's our boss and everything. And I don’t know if he'd go in for, whatever we'd work out"

**Three** : "It makes me sad to think he's so lonely."

**Leon** : "I know. You have no idea how hard it is to not just go over and demand to snuggle him every night, knowing he's cooped up in that crowded house with people who don't even care to know him"

Smith wraps his arms around Ross' waist. It feels almost odd to admit these things to Ross after so long keeping them under wraps. But good in a way he never really expected

**Three** : "What if we ask him to come eat dinner with us sometime? We could play board games or watch a movie or something." Ross sighs and rubs a hand down Smith's back.

**Leon** : "Yeah. I'd like that. Hopefully he'd say yes."

"I should probably talk with him before. When I ask him. Tell him why we want to have dinner and all."

Smith's working out how this will go in his head. Trying to imagine Trott doing anything other than looking at him like he's crazy

**Three** : "Tell him I have this recipe for a tagine, and I need him to come eat with us because it makes a ton. I mean, that's true. My mom never cooked small meals. There were always people over for dinner."

**Leon** : Ross has a book full of handwritten recipe cards from his mother

**Three** : Ross can cook a surprising amount of stuff

Ross can make bread, and bake a billion cookies and make curry and tagines and really good eggs

**Leon** : And he can turn anything into a really good soup/stew

Smith watches him do this on multiple occasions, and Ross just nods very wisely and says "its all in the seasoning Smith"

**Three** : Ross is amused by Smith's awe over the food

He finds it very endearing

**Leon** : Smith can follow a recipe if he's paying a lot of attention

but he can't just wing it like Ross does

**Three** : Ross also worries Trott doesn't eat well, and just wants to feed him all the time

**Leon** : Ross thinks he sounds like his mother when he catches himself thinking

"He's so skinny, he can't be eating well, I should make him food"

**Three** : He totally sounds like his mother

**Leon** : Daydreams about a house in the hippie commune where Smith can have the both of them and he makes sure Trott eats enough food. And maybe Trott can do something he enjoys. They'd respect his space if he need it. Everyone would love Smith. Ross always sort of figured he'd wind up back eventually, vet training coming in handy with all the animals.

**Leon** : "When should we have him over?"

Smith breaks him out of yet another daydream

**Three** : "Well, anything but Sunday or Tuesday night. I have an anatomy test this week." Ross curls over and hugs Smith.

**Leon** : "Friday? I don't think Trott works Friday, or if he does, its early"

Smith notes down which days Trott works. They've been working a lot less together recently, and Smith knows Trott usually makes the schedule. And it hurts to know that Trott's probably doing it on purpose, more so because he thinks it's cutting out any of the time Trott gets with someone who he's friendly with

**Three** : "Are you closing Friday? Maybe that would be good. He can come over and hang out for a bit before you arrive, and maybe then it doesn't feel like we're ganging up on him."

**Leon** : Smith nods, because it makes sense.

"Do you want to talk with him about things? Tell him that we talked? Or wait until I come over?"

**Three** : "I can talk to him." Ross feels quietly confident, even if he doesn't have the exact vocabulary for all this.

**Leon** : "Thank you" Smith flops his head against Ross

knowing that Ross might know what to say, to make it seem less like a crazy ill thought out Smith Idea and more like something reasonable helps

"I'll ask him if he wants to come over tomorrow at work. I'll go find him on his break."

**Three** : "I'll go grocery shopping when we know." Ross wiggles down until he's cuddled up against Smith.

**Leon** : Smith kisses him, happy and thankful for how great Ross is. Even if he doesn’t think Smith's geckos are cute.

**Three** : Ross only said they weren't as cute as dogs.

**Leon** : Smith doesn’t make the same mistake and try to nudge Trott again while he's listening to music

So when he does try to ask Trott he just stands there waiting for Trott to notice

**Three** : "Is somebody dead?" he asks, taking out his headphones. He's a little surprised to see Smith.

**Leon** : "No" Smith is trying not to shiver, because it’s windy and Trott has his jacket on, but Smith's just wearing his t-shirt

"I just wanted to ask you a question, not about work or anything"

**Three** : Trott looks curiously at Smith, who wears his nervousness all over. "What's going on?"

**Leon** : "Well, It’s been awhile since we've hung out, and Ross has this recipe that he's been wanting to make that he says makes a lot, and there’s some things we should talk about. So would you like to come over to Ross' Friday evening? For late dinner? I close, but I'd come over after"

**Three** : Trott blinks because that wasn't what he was expecting. He's tried to avoid Smith, as much as he could because he didn't know what it would do to his equilibrium. But he sees Ross often enough and that hurts in a different way.

"What things?" he asked, guardedly.

**Leon** : "Stuff about you and me and Ross. I talked with him, before you think I haven't and this is my way of talking to him about it. I just don't see you, and don't want to do it here at work. So. Dinner?"

**Three** : "Smith... you don't have to." Trott closes his eyes for a second. "You don't owe me anything."

**Leon** : "I know. But I want to Trott. Look, I'm freezing and I know you have to get back to work, you don't have to answer me right now if you want to think about it. Just let me know either way?"

**Three** : "Okay," Trott sighs. "I'll think about it." He's not sure what to think, really.

**Leon** : "Great" Smith smiles, and tries not to feel too relieved because Trott could still say no

but he didn't immediately shut it down, so there’s a chance he'll say yes

Smith leaves, feeling somewhat bad for interrupting Trott's break time. Goes to sit in the bathroom and collect his wits before he faces customers again

**Three** : Trott spends the rest of the day a bit distracted, wondering what the hell Smith is thinking. He doesn't even want to allow himself the luxury of considering this could be anything good. He briefly shuts himself up in the office and stares at the schedule, wondering.

But Ross is a really good cook, and he'd be almost crazy to pass up a hot meal.

**Leon** : Wonders if Smith is just inviting him as a friend with benefits thing, that he and Ross want a third person to occasionally fool around with. Tries to consider if he could do that.

Smith doesn’t have much of his shift left, and on the way out he tracks down Trott, hovering by him with his hoodie on over his work clothes until Trott's finished with some customers who needed help with a cat tree

**Three** : He didn't have any more time to stall. Trott took a deep breath and puffed his cheeks out.

"What time?"

**Leon** : "Uhm, whenever you get off work? Ross doesn’t work that day; you make the schedule of course you know. So he said whenever. And I'll come over after I close"

"Is...that a yes?"

**Three** : "Tell Ross to let me know what I should bring." Trott waved him off. "Get going. I'll see you Friday."

**Leon** : Smith practically skips out of the store

He spends a lot of time at Ross' because Tom is nice, but he also doesn’t need commentary on their sex life

So he heads over to tell Ross that TROTT SAID YES

**Three** : Ross is quietly pleased and starts making a grocery list immediately

**Leon** : Tells Smith that Trott shouldn't bring anything.

And tells Trott this as well

Trott brings some wine

**Three** : http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016987-daniel-bouluds-chicken-tagine

Ross makes a giant chicken tagine

**Leon** : Trott resolutely refuses to dress up for this, he spent hours at work in dress clothes, he will be wearing jeans and a t-shirt so help him

he somewhat regrets it, in the moments between his knock on the door to Ross' apartment, and Ross answering the door

**Three** : "Trott! Is that wine? That's okay, I never say no to wine." Ross grinning and pulling him in the door. He has on an apron and his tiny little apartment smells like spices.

**Leon** : Trott thinks "of course he has an apron" and smiles, feeling oddly like he has to put on his customer service persona. It’s been so long since he's been to socialize in a private setting

"Where do you want the wine?"

He looks around Ross' apartment curiously. The little half wall of counters that sets the kitchen apart from his living and bedroom space

**Three** : Ross digs a corkscrew out of a drawer and tosses it to Trott. "You can open it, put it on the coffee table? Sorry, I don't really have a dining table or anything. I hope you don't mind sitting on the sofa or the floor."

**Leon** : "That’s fine. I usually eat at my desk anyways."

Trott pours them glasses of wine into cups that Ross sets out for him. Glad he has something to do, and a cup to hold in front of him while he watches Ross clean up in the kitchen

"Your place is nice." He tries not to sound too envious

**Three** : "It's tiny and not very much, but it is close to campus. I dream of having a bath tub again one day."

"At least with it being this small, I kind of have to keep it clean or it is impossible."

**Leon** : "I just have a bedroom, and share a bathroom. I wouldn't bathe in that tub if you paid me." He smiles, but he's tense and worried about what's going to happen when Smith gets back. Ross outside of work has the same focus, and the same open friendliness, but he seems much more relaxed in his own home. Like he's not so frantic to set everything to rights, because its already how he likes it

**Three** : "How many roommates do you have?" Ross offers Trott a baby carrot while he chops things for a salad.

**Leon** : Trott crunches on the carrot, trying to remember the last time he just ate a vegetable that wasn't frozen or on something else.

"Four. Plus the girlfriends, and their friends that are always over."

**Three** : "That's either nice, or terrible." Ross slices tomatoes. "There were always a lot of people in and out of the house growing up, I kind of miss it. I've never lived alone before."

**Leon** : "I don't talk to them much. I pretty much stay in my room. They all knew each other before, and I just-" Trott sips his wine, not sure how to articulate to Ross the feeling of being terribly lonely while simultaneously being crushed by the presence of other people

"Where did you grow up Ross? I don't think you've ever said"

**Three** : "On a hippie commune my mom helped found, couple hours from here out near the Colorado." Ross looks up, as if he's holding his breath. It's always a little nerve wracking, telling someone the first time.

**Leon** : "Oh. Wow. That’s, really not what I was expecting. But I guess that makes sense." Trott laughs. "That must have been really interesting."

**Three** : "I definitely appreciate more now that I've lived on my own." Ross smiles, dumping the vegetables into a bowl. "But that's also why I can't seem to cook for one person."

**Leon** : "Fortunately Smith eats enough for three people" Trott says before he can stop himself. Something in him grates, feeling himself easily admit that Smith and Ross are a Thing. To the point that Ross would cook meals for Smith, often.

**Three** : "He is always hungry," Ross says. He looks at the salad in the bowl, checks the oven. "You probably don't eat enough, Trott. I keep hoping if I feed you more you'll stop looking so tired and sad all the time."

**Leon** : "I don't look like that" Trott scoffs

But he feels like Ross has a point. He knows he's a bunch of bad habits all trying to cancel each other out

**Three** : "You do a lot though," Ross says quietly. "More since you started avoiding Smith at work and changing the shifts around. He talked to me a little, about what happened."

**Leon** : "Did he. What did he say?" Trott's been dreading dealing with  this since he agreed to come. And now that Ross has brought it up, he's not sure he wants to deal with it

**Three** : "He said he screwed up, didn't act on his feelings and he ended up hurting yours." Ross tries to be simple and open about it, in hopes that Trott won't feel strange.

**Leon** : "He didn't screw up Ross. There’s no screwing up when it’s just. It’s my thing to deal with now, it’s up to me to get over it, and I'm sorry if this has somehow fucked things up with you both."

He sounds angry, and bitter, and he feels very bad because Ross looks very calm, standing there still in his apron and making lovely dinner for the guy who is still not over his boyfriend

**Three** : "Oh Trott, no, that's not what it is at all." Ross reaches out, gently touching Trott's arm. "Nothing's wrong except that you're so unhappy, and I want to try to help." He is afraid to move too quickly lest Trott just bolt on him. Smith's counting on him not to screw this up.

**Leon** : Trott flinches from the hand on his arm, he regrets it almost instantly, but he was so startled by it he couldn’t stop the reaction.

"I don't know what you want from me Ross, why I'm here or what."

He crosses his arms and leans on the counter, trying not to snap any more. So it just comes out sounding tired

**Three** : "Smith's obviously got feelings for you, and you have feelings, and I think it might be good if you both took the chance of sorting that out..." Ross sighed. "Look. I don't want either of you to be unhappy, and it's not going to bother me at all if you and Smith want to explore whatever it is between you."

"I know that sounds kind of weird. But look. I grew up on a farm with a bunch of people who didn't have traditional relationships or marriages. My mom's had more boyfriends and girlfriends than I could name. I just. Don't think it has to be hard or weird, to care about more than one person at a time."

**Leon** : Trott's staring, he knows he is. And he's not sure how to take this, or what it means.

"I don’t, I don't know what to say to that Ross." Trott swallows hard, trying to make sense of the words Ross said and reconcile it with the messy argument he thought was going to happen

**Three** : "Well, you don't have to decide all at once or right away or anything. Just think about it. Maybe talk to Smith. I just don't want you to think I'd be against it at all."

Ross smiles, a bit shy. "You probably wouldn't have hired me if you'd known I was a weird hippie kid."

**Leon** : "No, I probably still would have hired you." Trott says distantly, overwhelmed by the sudden turn the conversation took

**Three** : "I thought it might be easier, if I talked to you about it, so you wouldn't think Smith was trying to do something dodgy."

**Leon** : "It helps. Definitely." Trott sighs, and wishes Smith would get here faster.

"Thank you"

**Three** : "Anytime, Trott." Ross wants to hug him. He understands what Smith goes on about now, about how Trott just looks so sad and self contained. But that little flinch makes Ross think pushing any more contact might be too much.

**Leon** : "What should we do until Smith gets back? We should probably leave some of that wine for him, but tell me more about life on a hippie commune." The settle on the sofa and chat until Smith gets back. Trott finds it surprisingly easy to talk to Ross, now that his guarded guilt and hurt has been somewhat assuaged

**Three** : Ross tells him stories about his weird childhood, about his mom's chaotic homeschooling until one of the other adults really took the kids in the community in hand, about the time he ate so many strawberries he thought he was going to die, and he got hives.

**Leon** : Trott sits on the sofa with Ross and laughs, Ross tells his stories so animatedly

I am fading fast and I think I need to go to bed, but think about Smith going out with Trott while he smokes, and Ross takes the food out of the oven

Giving them some space so they can go outside on the sidewalk and talk a little

**Three** : Ross suppressing the urge to just smush them together and tell them to hug it out, because his mom would do that

**Leon** : He does peek out the window to see them standing close, and Smith with his hand on Trott's shoulder

rubbing little circles as Trott fishes for another cigarette, they've been out there so long he's definitely finished his first at least

and when they come back up things don’t feel so tense between them

so Ross considers this a success


	5. Chapter 5

**Leon** : I’m still thinking about pet store aus

I have had a lot of au feelings today

 **Three** : oh my god, pet store

 **Three** : why am I so emotionally invested

 **Leon** : because we are terrible

 **Three** : I was thinking about this too

 **Leon** : tell me your thoughts, because I was thinking about Smith and Trott standing outside and talking

 **Three** : I was thinking Trott would be so wary and puzzled by how earnest Ross is about all this

And Smith would be defensive, and point out Ross was the one with the idea, he's not trying to just tramp around

 **Leon** : Smith is bracing for anger here and Trott is just very cautious and afraid to hope

I think Ross sends them outside pretty much right away, because he doesn’t want to sit through dinner with them feeling awkward and tense

 **Three** : "It's got ten more minutes, I don't want you opening the oven every thirty seconds smith, go outside with Trott so he can smoke."

 **Leon** : "That's okay Ross, I can go out by myself."

 **Three** : "Take him out, or he'll open the oven Trott! Last time he burned himself and I never heard the end of it."

 **Leon** : Trott looks at Ross and Smith, and he doesn’t want to face this reckoning. But he sighs and beckons Smith over.

 **Three** : Ross shoving Smith along. "Out. Go keep Trott company. I'll shout when dinner's ready." He won't actually. He’ll just wait for them to come back.

 **Leon** : Trott refuses to look at Smith as he stands outside, distracting himself fidgeting with his cigarettes and lighter.

"Ross and I talked. Before you got back"

 **Three** : "Did he..." Smith sort of trails off, nervously shifting back and forth on his feet. "Are you mad at me? For telling Ross about it?"

 **Leon** : "Not if you didn’t tell him the things I told you, privately. You talking about you is your own business Smith. Just don't go spreading mine."

Trott thought he would feel mad, but he's just sort of dazed and confused by this whole thing. It hasn't really sunk in, and he sort of figured that Smith would say something, because he clearly likes Ross. And Trott's glad in a way. Because he doesn’t have to worry about how Ross will take it, now that he knows Ross knows

 **Three** : "I didn't." Smith chews on his lip and watches Trott. "I just sort of told him that I still had these feelings and I didn't know what to do because I made such a mess of things. And Ross. Well. Ross had this idea."

Smith's so anxious because he can't tell what Trott's thinking, if he's mad or sad or thinks the whole thing is crazy.

 **Leon** : "Yeah. Ross had this idea. I don't fucking know Smith, I don't know what that would mean, how that would work. I haven't had a relationship in years, let alone one like that."

Trott knows he sounds angry, and he feels it, but not at Smith really. Just frustrated that he can't just make this confusion go away

"Sorry. I just don't know what to do here."

 **Three** : "Well, I mean, it's okay. I don't really know either. I would like it, if I could kiss you and kiss Ross, but I don't know how it works. I mean, I guess Ross does." Smith aches, thinking about Trott. He feels like he should have prepared better for this.

"I think about you, a lot. And I've felt really bad because maybe I shouldn't be thinking about you, if Ross is around?"

 **Leon** : Trott looks at Smith, because it’s surprising to hear that Smith thinks about him, at least on some level. Not just because he's available or convenient, or new. "I don't know if 'should' has anything to do with any of this Smith. I shouldn't think about you, I'm your boss, and you have a great boyfriend, and I am really not boyfriend material." It’s shitty but he says it anyways, because he looks at Ross, who is sweet, and pretty, and must be smart because he's studying to be a vet and is clearly doing well at it. Works hard, and isn't jaded and tired and sad about things the way Trott is, and if he wasn't himself and he was looking at this from the outside he'd tell Smith to just go with Ross because he's pretty much perfect for Smith, as perfect as someone can be. He and Smith seem to fit seamlessly, and Trott doesn't see how he has a place in that.

"But I think about you, a lot. Even if I shouldn't"

 **Three** : Smith has a heart stopping moment when Trott says that, and smiles at him. "Trott you're at least a responsible adult. I'm hardly boyfriend material. I stole a snake by hiding it in my boxers."

 **Leon** : "God Smith. I can't believe you-" Trott covers his face, endeared and exasperated in equal measure

 **Three** : "Oops." Smith claps his hand over his mouth. "Shouldn't have told you that."

 **Leon** : "It’s not like I don't know what you've stolen Smith, but your boxers? Really?"

Trott decides that this is turning into a more than one smoke conversation. Smith has not helped him curb his smoking habit, at all.

 **Three** : "It was cold! Snakes don't like the cold!"

"I didn't want it to poke out of my shirt in front of Barry or anything."

 **Leon** : "What are we going to do Smith?" Trott sighs and looks at him sadly. It doesn’t feel like they've resolved anything, it’s like they're back on the street Trott lives on and he's got Smith close enough to touch but there’s just as much of a wall there as there has been this whole time.

 **Three** : Smith takes a deep breath, wanting to just crush Trott to him until that sad look goes away. Instead he holds out his hand, hoping Trott might take it. "I wanted to kiss you that night I drove you home, and I've regretted not doing it ever since. We could just try? Whatever this is? And if it doesn't work, I'll quit so you don't have to deal with me."

 **Leon** : "Okay." Trott takes his hand, moving closer so their sides are just barely touching. It feels shameful, how much he needed that contact, and in some way he hates how that's a thing he's wanted, the intimacy of holding hands, or kissing, not just thinking Smith is attractive in a distant way. "Maybe Ross has ideas. About what we should do. Who knew Ross would be the one I'd turn to for relationship advice"

 **Three** : "Ross is weirdly smart." Smith laces his fingers with Trott's, sure that his heart is beating a million beats a minute. "He did grow up in a commune though, so both weird and smart."

 **Leon** : "Should we go up there? It’s definitely been more than ten minutes" Trott turns his head in time to see the blinds drop down

He surprisingly doesn't mind that Ross has been watching, but there’s a slight jolt of panic before he can tell himself that it’s okay. It has to be, Ross wouldn’t have even brought it up if it wasn’t

 **Three** : "Ross is really not very subtle, I have to admit." Smith laughs, squeezes Trott's hand. "He is a good cook though, and I believe him when he says he's not upset about this situation."

 **Leon** : "I do too. I worry that that will change. But I guess there's not much I can do about that" Trott let's Smith's hand go, reluctant as he is to do so, and heads back towards the apartment building

 **Three** : Ross who has pulled the coffee table out some so they can sit on the floor around it, with plates of tagine and couscous and glasses of wine. Smith has to remind him to take off his apron while he fusses with making sure everyone is fed.

 **Leon** : "Did you guys talk?" Ross refuses to let them sit in silence, he does let them eat a bit before he says something, but he wants them to talk about it

 **Three** : Smith with a giant mouthful of food trying to chew his way into speaking.

"We talked," Trott says, taking a drink of wine so as not to look at anyone.

 **Leon** : "And?" Ross looks at him, even though Trott is staring at his glass

 **Three** : Ross who probably called his mom to ask her advice

"How is this supposed to work?" Trott sounds wary.

 **Leon** : ("Mom! Quick, my boyfriend loves this other guy, how do I tell them it’s okay?")

 **Three** : (Ross' mom, so excited Ross has a boyfriend, and he's learning all about poly.)

 **Leon** : "Well, it can work however we want it to work. There's not really a way that has to be." Ross thinks of his Mom, and tries to explain as simply as he can some half remembered relationships he's seen, but not really thought of in a critical way before "Like, my mom, she saw a couple guys at once and they all knew and it was fine. She just balanced what they all needed, and some of them she only saw occasionally, and some she spent a long time with. More like being married almost? And I think when she was dating Aunt Kim, Aunt Kim was also dating Lom and maybe Mom and Lom were dating too? I'm not sure. Point is, it’s just like you and Smith are figuring out how you want to be dating, or whatever you want it to be, only Smith and I also have a thing. And we just, see what happens."

(Kim and Lom are totally hippie lesbians. Kim with lots of purple tattoos. Lom with a TON of chickens, and an owl that lives in the barn who she lets stay because he keeps the mice down)

 **Three** : Trott feels strange about the whole thing. He stares at his plate, listening to Ross and wondering why it sounds so easy when this will be anything but easy.

(oh my god yes)

 **Leon** : "I mean I like you Trott. It’s easy to see why Smith /likes you. The rest is just talking I guess. So you two have to promise to talk to each other about your feelings. Or me. I don't care, just someone needs to hear it." Ross goes back to eating his chicken, because he's said a lot in quick succession and he wants to let it sink in and give them time to turn it over

 **Three** : Smith has that fond, silly smile on his face, looking at Ross.

"So like, Trott and I can go do stuff, and I can go hang out with Ross, and maybe sometimes we can all hang out together, like this?" Smith talks aloud, pushing his couscous around.

 **Leon** : "Yeah. Something like that. Trott?"

 **Three** : "What happens when you realize you don't like sharing your boyfriend with your boss?" Trott asks. Might as well put the worst case scenario on the table, he thinks.

 **Leon** : Ross raises his eyebrows. "I don't have a monopoly on Smith's time. And it seems like I can demand he only spend time with me and then Smith will be unhappy, or we can try to make this work."

"And I don't think I'd feel that way" Ross continues, slowly. Because he's trying to consider a situation where he'd feel that and is just drawing a blank

 **Three** : Trott shoves food in his mouth, wondering why Ross is so strange and so kind.

It is almost painful.

Smith watches them, wondering if he should say something.

He can't tell if this is going well or not.

"I know it's not the usual whatever..." Smith trails off. "But maybe this could be really good?"

"Says the man who ends up with two boyfriends," Trott snorts under his breath.

 **Leon** : "You could have two boyfriends too Trott" Ross says sagely, trying to hold back a smile because Smith looks simultaneously offended and pleased

 **Three** : Trott gives Ross a speculative look, noting the over innocent way Ross looks at Smith.

 **Leon** : "That’s too much for this little wine."

 **Three** : "There's a little left," Ross offers, clambering to his feet. "Or I have some beer in the fridge."

 **Leon** : "I want beer, you can have the rest of your wine Trott, and you can finish mine." Smith pushes his cup towards where Trott is sitting

 **Three** : Ross getting Smith a beer, padding around barefoot. Smith likes to make shitty jokes about Ross barefoot in the kitchen a lot when he's over.

 **Leon** : Ross takes his shoes off the moment he can

Smith puts a hand on Trott's knee under the coffee table, leaning forward and resting his head on the table so he can look over and up at Trott

"you okay?" he says quietly

Ross is watching from the kitchen, and fussing around with dishes to give them time

 **Three** : "I think so," Trott says after a moment. He's afraid to trust this, afraid it is going to blow up in some horrific messy way, that everything his parents said about how he was doomed to never be happy would come true.

 **Leon** : "we'll figure it out Trott"

Smith says, smiling at him. He wants it to be okay, to be able to do all the things he's been stopping himself from doing

 **Three** : Trott gives him a weak smile, finding it hard to stay stoic in the face of Smith's endless, earnest hope.

 **Leon** : "Smith?" Ross calls from the kitchen. He doesn’t want to interrupt their moment but he also wants to sit back down again. "Do you want your beer in a glass?" He holds up a cup

 **Three** : "Sure." Smith squeezes Trott, sits up a little.

Trott drains his glass of wine, thinking he's got to be super careful not to get drunk here.

Ross brings in Smith's beer, pours the last of the wine into Trott's glass. Ross has had a glass of wine and is slightly buzzed from it, because he has zero tolerance.

 **Leon** : Trott winds up getting a bit drunk anyways because aside from the glass Ross had, he drinks the whole bottle

But he is a quiet and restrained wine drunk

they just talk about random things for the rest of the evening

"Smith you should take Trott home." Ross says when Trott starts nodding off again onto his hand, part way through their second game of Clue

Trott takes the bus to work. His car probably broke irreparably and he can't really afford another one yet.

And Ross doesn't want Trott riding the bus this tired and tipsy

 **Three** : Trott tries to demur, and Ross insists. Because if Smith wants to be a good boyfriend, the least he can do is drive Trott home and not take advantage of him. That makes Trott laugh.

 **Leon** : Ross walks them down to the ground floor, and pulls Smith back while Trott situates himself in the car, turning it on and fussing with Smith's stereo and heating

"Smith, make sure he gets home okay? Maybe walk him upstairs. Put him in bed. I'm not suggesting you have sex, but also you could give him a hug. Or just take him back to your place if his roommates will be weird." Ross has Smith's hands in his, standing close on the little step outside the apartment building

 **Three** : "Alright. Thank you." Smith leaning his forehead against Ross' head. Kisses Ross gently and holds him, being so grateful that Ross is what he is, that he's kind and smart.

 **Leon** : "Of course Smith. Tell Trott he's welcome over here any time too okay?" Ross runs a hand through Smith's hair, holding him back and rocking him from side to side a bit.

 **Three** : Smith wants to spend lots of evenings like this, the three of them hanging out together. He wonders if that is selfish of him.

 **Leon** : "I'm glad he has you Smith. We'll work it out as we go." Ross kisses Smith again and lets him go, shooing him off the steps and towards the car with a little wave. Trott looks like he might be asleep in the passenger seat, with his head leaned against the window. Ross watches Smith get in, the swell of whatever music Trott's got playing louder with the open door and then cut off again. Smith touches Trott's shoulder gently, hesitantly, and Ross sighs, somehow wishing he could do more to make things easier for them.

 **Three** : Ross wants to hug them both, and feed them regular meals. What he really wants is for them to all move home with him.

So does it turn into eventual hatsome?

This careful weird little attempt at poly

 **Leon** : well, would you like it to?

I’m always a fan of hatsome, clearly

but I can also get with Ross and Trott being close friends and Smith being happy and in love with them both

 **Three** : I mean, my inclinations are wide

I'm very enamored of weird hippie kid Ross with this big, generous heart

 **Leon** : me toooo

Ross would be so pleased to find out Trott does music

he probably says something super sappy about how all music is beautiful and the sounds of the soul or something and goes bright red when Trott just starts laughing

"That’s what my mom always said."

Ross who was encouraged to sing even if he was never stellar at it

 **Three** : "Did your mom ever listen to any Norwegian metal?"

 **Leon** : "Maybe? You should ask her."

 **Three** : so consider

the global economic collapse, much like we had in 2008, massive unemployment, stores closing

 **Leon** : and the three of them move off to the farm

 **Three** : yes

exactly

 **Leon** : because their store is being shut down

 **Three** : (tom falls in love with a reptile lady at the zoo and they get married, he is fine)

 **Leon** : (tom and his reptile lady honeymoon in the Amazon, and accidentally discover a new species of toad that they name after Smith "it's better than naming my firstborn after you smith, surely")

 **Three** : (oh my god yes)

 **Leon** : so, would we like Trott and Ross to fall for each other slowly? I think Ross sort of has this inkling that he /could fall for Trott, and does in a quiet sort of way, that they are close friends, and Ross wouldn’t mind and would like to be there for Trott as something perhaps other than friends, but holds off because he wants Smith and Trott to work things out, and he wants Trott to figure out what he needs most of all.

 **Three** : Yes, that's kind of what I think. Ross is just really happy to spend time with both of them, because he loves Smith and Trott makes Smith happy when they aren't arguing about things but Smith even seems to like arguing with Trott.

Ross who finds himself taking a nap one day beside Trott, hardly even registering to himself that he's so happy until his mom says something to him one night after she's come over for dinner

I sort of imagine the commune as a few houses, and his mom has this big house with the big communal spaces people spend a lot of time in

 **Leon** : oooh please imagine this happens at the house Ross grew up in, that she's had them over and Ross and Trott are on the sofa while Smith is off chatting on the porch with Ross' aunts

Ross' mom wants them to see the happy weird life they all lead, be around people they don't have to worry about pretenses with

 **Three** : Ross' aunts like Smith because he's feisty and ridiculous

 **Leon** : absolutely, and he sings raunchy songs with them

Ross' mom catches Trott and Ross napping on the sofa, Trott leaning on Ross and Ross with his arm around Trott's shoulders, they were all up very late the night before, and chickens and cows do not understand company messing with sleep schedules, and still need to be fed when they are used to

 **Three** : She probably puts a blanket on them and pets Ross on the head

 **Leon** : She insists Ross come water the carrots with her that evening, so they can talk

Ross' Mom wants to mom both Smith and Trott, she tries to repress this somewhat, because they are both grownups, but she also puts more food on both their plates and Trott mutters something about "I can see where Ross learned that trick"

and Smith and Ross laugh

 **Three** : Trott's probably more skittish about it, because he doesn't even talk to his family.

Smith soaks up attention like a sponge.

 **Leon** : Trott gets told he can "call or stop by any time if he ever needs to talk"

 **Three** : Smith probably actually takes her up on it, because he's still trying to figure out how to balance things with Ross and Trott

 **Leon** : Ross' mom wants to talk with him, about his feelings about Trott, and how things are with Smith, and what they plan to do.

This may be around the time they have an inkling, or have been told that their store will be closing

and Trott's been stressed out of his mind about what he's going to do for a job, and been applying to places like crazy and trying not to panic about maybe having to move away

Smith is worried about Trott, but he has his boundless optimism

Ross probably got a job at some vet clinic, doing some work experience now that he's got certified to do the basics

 **Three** : but he can tell how stressed out Trott is, and maybe Trott talks to him first because he can't figure out how to tell Smith without panic

 **Leon** : And Ross suggests that maybe Trott should take a weekend off to not be stressed, to which Trott replies "Yeah and do what? Get drunk in my shitty bedroom?" "Well, we've been talking about making a trip out to visit my mum. I can see what she's up to weekend after next?"

and surely his mom has some life advice she can impart

 **Three** : Trott feeling bad for sounding so bitter and angry. Ross just shrugging it off, saying Trott's really worn down by work.

 **Leon** : Ross gives him a hug, Trott has told him he can do that, and so he does. "Try to not be so hard on yourself. You've been working so much with the store closing, I doubt you've even had time to sleep the right amount." Trott's been trying to frantically save money up. And a bunch of other managers up and quit so he's covering a lot of gaps.

Ross tells his mom about this, vaguely. Before they come up. That Trott might be tired, and stressed out because this is new people and weird situations, and he's been working himself too hard and is stressed out about finding a job. Ross' mom picks up on how worried he sounds

She wants to know what their plans are, if Trott has to move, if Smith has to move. While they're out walking up and down the rows of carrots with the watering cans, she gets Ross to talk a little bit. She's avoided it in front of the other people, because Ross wants this to be a break for Trott, not Q&A about how his life is falling apart

 **Three** : Smith and Trott sitting in the porch swing while Ross and his mom water the vegetables

Ross explaining things, talking about how worried he is, how so much stuff is going downhill in the town they live in, how even the vet might not be able to keep him on and he's only working part time now.

Ross just sighing and asking his mom what he should do, he doesn't know how to take care of everyone.

 **Leon** : "Well you can always come back here." She says as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world

"Do you think you could live with them? Both of them?"

 **Three** : Ross thinks about that, very seriously.

"I think I could. I don't know how Trott would feel. He's so so private. But I don't know if things would be different if he lived somewhere better..." Ross has told his mom about Trott's home life and his roommates.

(I think her name is Caroline because I know lots of 70s hippies named Caroline)

 **Leon** : "They might be better. Or he might be private, just in different ways. He might even be more private, under closer scrutiny with two people living side by side with him." She watches Ross chew his lip while he uproots some weeds, and feels like she knows the answer to her next question because of the way Ross talks about Trott, and acts around him, but isn't sure if Ross has realized it yet "Do you think you love him too?"

 **Three** : Ross stops, staring at his hands. He looks up for a minute, back at the house in the twilight, than back at his mom.

"Oh."

 **Leon** : Caroline just raises her eyebrows at him

 **Three** : "Smith always tells me I'm oblivious," Ross sighs. "I guess he's right."

 **Leon** : "Sometimes things are easier to see from the outside"

 **Three** : "Are things okay here? I mean, could the farm take three people? Where would we even stay?" Ross wonders aloud. He'd love it. He wonders what Smith and Trott would think.

Trott has discovered Ross' aunts have a fine appreciation for music, and is having an animated conversation about a band that broke up when Trott was ten, that Kim and Lom saw live.

 **Leon** : "The Bentley's are getting old, and really should probably be moving in with their kids soon. That house will be opening up if that happens. We can talk at the next community meeting, I'll bring it up to the group"

 **Three** : Ross hugs his mom.

I suspect Smith has amped up the stealing with the store going down because no one cares.

 **Leon** : Tom winds up with most of the geckos and reptiles

Smith makes sure he has enough heat lamps for years to come

 **Three** : They get a closing date for the store, and it is a ghost town.

Smith is half assing looking for another job

Trott's just become bleak

 **Leon** : Ross asks them both over for dinner, when his mom calls and says that they could maybe work out a place for them

They'd need to have a sit down with them all, but it’s a serious possibility if they think it can work

Smith spends most of his time at Ross'

Trott holes up either at work, or at his place

Smith is worried about him, but he and Ross barely see him

 **Three** : Ross unaccustomedly nervous about this, because he doesn't know if they'll go for this idea. To Ross, this is a perfect solution to all the problems. But maybe they'll both side eye going to live on a farm.

Ross makes pizza from scratch for dinner.

 **Leon** : Trott just sits on the sofa, leaning on Smith and looking so terribly tired

 **Three** : Smith running a hand slowly through Trott's hair, not saying anything.

 **Leon** : Smith just petting his hair

 **Leon** : Ross brings them plates of pizza when it’s done, kisses Smith on the head and now that it’s been pointed out, and he's acknowledged his feelings to himself he recognizes the urge to do the same for Trott, but he just squeezes Trott's shoulder and sets the plate on his lap

"Eat something Trott, I put anchovies on part of it for you even though they're gross."

Ross sitting on the bean bag chair on the other side of the coffee table

"I wanted to talk about some things, with you both." Ross doesn't even touch his pizza, but he waits for them to finish eating their slices. He sips his coke nervously, trying to quell the anxious churning of his stomach

 **Three** : Smith doing his indecently happy eating noises, because pizza.

"What's going on?" Trott's instantly alert, searching Ross' face.

His instant thought is that Ross has found a job, and is leaving. But Smith looks surprised too, and Trott wonders.

 **Leon** : "Hear me out with this okay? It might sound a little nuts, but I've been trying to figure out a way to make everything okay and this is the best, and kind of the only thing I've got." Ross takes a deep breath, looking at them and praying that this can work "How would you guys feel about us all living together, at the commune? There is probably a house for us, and Mum said that she doesn't see any reason that the community would take issue with either of you joining. So. If you want, and you don't have to figure it out tonight or anything, and there's a lot of stuff we'd have to do and it would be different and hard. But. That's an option"

Ross closes his eyes and puts his head in his hands for a second, sighing hard and trying not to cry with relief that he's finally said it, and dread that they might think this is ridiculous, and this might even be the end of them

 **Three** : Trott just stares, trying to absorb that information. His instinctive reaction is to turtle up for a moment while he tries to process everything.

"Really?" Smith looks curious.

"What would we do out there? I mean, I'm assuming we'd need jobs."

Smith sits up, looking at Trott who is still faintly frowning and being silent.

Trott's been wondering how long he could last on his savings. He's started even applying for shit jobs, not even manager jobs. The whole thing has been terrifying.

 **Leon** : "Well, yeah we'd need jobs. There's always work to do. And we have to pull our weight. Some people do jobs outside, but that’s all stuff that we'd need to talk with Mum about. I'd probably work with the animals. You and Trott can talk with some of the other people, figure out what work is needed, what you can do"

Ross is watching Smith's face, and Smith seems to be very eager, he's got that Smith light in his eyes where he has a plan and he wants to follow it

 **Three** : "Is there where you tell us it's really a cult, and we have to profess our devotion to your weird god?" Smith teases.

 **Leon** : "The one true god is the Hand of Truth Smith, you know that" they have the running joke, ever since Trott pointed at some dishes wearing Ross' yellow dish washing gloves and said "you're compelled by the hand of truth to hand me those pans Alex Smith"

 **Three** : Trott's still quiet, mulling over the idea. It sounds terrifying. But then, a lot of things sounded terrifying and didn't turn out too bad. Like dating Smith, and this weird relationship.

 **Leon** : "Trott, if you need time to think about it that's okay. And we'd talk a lot more about what living situations would be like, before. Have a plan you know?"

 **Three** : "Well, it's not like I've got much else in the way of plans after the store closes." Trott sighs. "I'm sorry Ross. It's a generous idea. I'll think about it."

 **Leon** : "Don't apologize Trott. I want what is going to be best for you, and for all of us. And if that means living in a house on a hippie commune with me and Smith then I think we can do that. And if not, we'll figure it out."

 **Three** : Trott's terribly afraid suddenly, that they'll decide to go and he'll balk and they'll just leave him behind.

 **Leon** : "Smith, I'm assuming by the look on your face you think this is a good idea?" Ross smiles at Smith, who has realized that this means potentially more Ross and Trott time, which he is very in favor of

 **Three** : "I mean. It sounds fun! Exciting!"

Smith is thinking about getting Ross to make breakfast for him.

"I don't know shit about farms though."

 **Leon** : "You'll learn. Just no stealing the neighbors’ pigs. They frown on that"

 **Three** : "I wouldn't steal a pig!"

 **Leon** : Trott just raises his eyebrows and takes a drink

 **Three** : Ross just laughs.

 **Leon** : Ross laughs, feeling very fond of the both of them

 **Leon** : (fucking jinx)

 **Three** : (LOL)

 **Three** : (even after I erased the eyebrow raising)

 **Leon** : (incredible)

 **Three** : How many bedrooms does their house come with? I sort of think there need to be at least two.

 **Leon** : Two upstairs, and a space downstairs that was being used as a sort of office but they make a bedroom? It was a family home, but the two old people who were living there had children that both went off on their own with their families, and so the house was sort of too big for them. Maybe they put up some of the young people who stay there for a summer or two

 **Three** : cause I think Ross would want to make sure Trott had space, so he doesn't feel too overwhelmed.

 **Leon** : yeah. They have a serious talk about what things need to be like, if Smith just wants to swap off with them, if Trott wants to come in with Ross and Smith. Ross isn’t sure when the best time to talk to Trott about his feelings is. He sort of feels like there's no time like the present, but Trott is so stressed out and overwhelmed, he's very wary of putting one more thing onto him

I think Smith has been basically living with Ross for a while, not actually, but he spends a lot of nights there. I don't think he's ever stayed with Trott. But Trott may have stayed with him at Tom's, or with him and Ross at Ross'

 **Three** : Yeah, I don't think Trott would have ever let anyone stay over at his place, he's too wary of his housemates

 **Leon** : his room is too small, and he barely lets them come over, let alone spend the night

it feels too incriminating, even if he goes over to Smith's and is driven back by him

that at least feels like it has deniability

 **Three** : yeah

Ross having a long talk with Trott one day, maybe while smith is working a closing shift

about what Trott might want, how he might want to live.

about what it is like, the communal chores, the shared things, and how people respect privacy even so

 **Leon** : He has Trott sit on his sofa for a long time, makes him a cup of coffee and talks a bit, and lets Trott think, about what he might need. Because Ross is very intent on Trott defining what he'd need from that living experience, with the larger community and with Smith and Ross. How he might feel about different situations

 **Three** : Ross who just terribly wants to hold Trott and tell him it is going to be okay

 **Leon** : Trott wants to put his head in his hands and cry, because his semblance of a life is shattering one piece at a time and he doesn't know how he can salvage this. He has the urge to tell Ross that he and Smith should just go, because the worry that he'll be unable to deal with them around, or worse, that he'll feel jaded because Smith spends a lot of time visibly with Ross, that he'll wind up unable to share, and that without their separate spaces the awkwardness of balancing their romantic and sexual lives will be too much for him. That it makes sense for Smith to sleep with Ross a lot, because they're used to it, and Trott still has issues with it, but he worries that he'll feel even lonelier than he does now, because he won't have the physical separation

 **Three** : Ross hesitantly probes, asking questions. Because Trott's never been good at expressing his feelings.

Trott looks so sad and bereft, that Ross gives up and just puts his arms around Trott, kisses him carefully on the head.

 **Three** : "I know making a big change like this is scary, but you'll have us, Trott."

 **Leon** : Trott sags a little against Ross, closing his eyes and just leaning into him. "I don't know if I have any other options at this point" he knows he's got only a few weeks before the store closes. And he can live on what he has saved, but nowhere is hiring, let alone hiring for what he was making before. The pay was shit, but he'd worked for the company a while, and was promoted fast.

 **Three** : "Trott." Ross hesitates. "If you hate it, we'll help you find something else. I mean, I want you there and Smith wants you there. I can't imagine anything that would make me more happy. But if you really don't want it, then you aren't stuck. I don't want you to be afraid of that." Ross holds him, one hand on the back of Trott's head.

 **Leon** : "You have to tell me, if it turns out you want it to just be you and Smith. Once we're all in the same space" Trott still has that latent fear. Saying that feels like agreeing, that he'll do this, and he knows that he's made that decision but now he's trying to plan for how it could go wrong.

 **Three** : "I will tell you, but honestly Trott that's very, very unlikely. Right now, I very much want you to be there. I don't believe that will change. But if anything does, we'll talk about it, okay?" Ross aches to say something more, but he doesn't want to spook Trott and this is hard enough. He might not even want Ross to be interested in him. Ross is going to let it wait.

 **Leon** : Trott nods, and returns Ross' hug. He's trying not to cry because everything seems overwhelming.

"I guess we should really start to plan, for doing this"

 **Three** : Ross is so relieved and overjoyed. "I'll call Mom tonight, talk to her about the whens and hows."

He holds Trott tightly, not wanting to let him go.

 **Leon** : "I'll tell Smith. I need to see him anyways. I've been-" he's not just been busy. He's been avoiding trying to deal with this. He didn't want to crush Smith's hopes. "It’s been too long."

 **Three** : "He's missed you," Ross says. "Do you want to stay here, tonight?"

 **Leon** : Trott winces, because he feels bad for staying away, just as much as he felt bad for not knowing what to do "If that's okay. Was he planning on coming back here?" Smith's clothes are by the bed, and his jacket by the door. The weird little Smith touch to things feels very present, and even if they hadn't talked about Smith staying over at Ross' more, he'd know it was happening

 **Three** : "I think so, yeah." Ross leaves out the part where Smith planned on heisting a ton of reptile gear and taking it to Tom before coming over. "But I mostly just don't want you to go. I've missed you too."

 **Leon** : "Sorry. I just didn't know what to do." Trott fetches his coffee, looking at it like it might give him answers or tell him what the future will hold

 **Three** : "It really is okay, Trott." Ross leans his head on his arm. "Some people need more privacy and space. That's why I wanted to talk about how we might set things up, so we can live together and no one is going crazy. I feel like I should warn you that Smith and I both sing in the shower. Smith's a lot better though."

 **Leon** : Trott shakes his head, mutters into his coffee "of course you do"

Trott spends the rest of the evening before Smith comes back reading comic books on Ross' bed

Ross has a very impressive comic book collection, and his bed is comfortable. Ross does some laundry, washes towels because somehow with two people he never seems to have enough. Muses that they'll have to get more, because with three people surely they'll be always needing towels

Smith doesn't notice Trott on the bed for a moment, comes in and starts talking about his reptile heist.

 **Leon** : Ross looks pointedly at the bed, and Smith goes from surprised, to delighted, to mortified in about three seconds

 **Three** : Ross makes a slightly frantic gesture, wide eyed as Smith gleefully described ripping the store off.

Sighs and throws a towel at Smith's head.

 **Leon** : "Trott has some news for you Smith. Don't you Trott?" Ross says as Smith carefully goes to sit near Trott. Smith wants to wrap his arms and legs around him because it’s been too long, but he's not sure Trott would appreciate that. It usually works better for Trott to come to him

 **Three** : Trott very nearly laughs at the chagrinned expression on Smith's face, because it is ludicrous.

Ross goes back to folding his towels up, trying not to smile.

"So. Ross and I talked. About the moving." Trott sits there, and Smith nearly dies waiting for him to say more.

 **Leon** : "Did he tell you I promised not to bring the geckos?"

 **Three** : "You're not going to bring the geckos?" Trott looks very surprised.

 **Leon** : "Maybe one. But Tom's taking most of them."

"His lady friend is a herpetologist. Which surprisingly isn’t a communicable disease"

 **Three** : "How do you not know that word- never mind." Trott closes the comic he was reading. "I've decided to move. To the farm, I mean."

 **Leon** : "Trott!" Smith just stares at him, and looks at Ross like somehow Trott might be joking. Ross nods his head, shaking out a blanket and tossing it towards the bed

 **Three** : Smith's almost vibrating and Trott takes pity on him. He's scared and nervous about all this going wrong, still. But he sits up and scoots closer to Smith, reaching out for him.

 **Leon** : Smith meets him halfway, plowing him back down onto the bed, burying his face against Trott's neck.

"It’s going to be great. Just think of all Ross' cooking you'll get to eat"

"I heard that Smith" Ross says from his laundry pile

 **Three** : "It's a selling point, Ross!" Smith's giddy with happiness, unable to resist snuggling Trott.

Ross carries the other blanket over to the bed and stands over them, debating about just falling on top of them.

 **Leon** : Settles for tossing the blanket over them, and laying behind Smith with his arm over him, just bushing Trott

Trott squirms a little, trying to get his head out from under the blanket

 **Three** : Smith is over the moon happy.

Without thinking about whether anyone's going to find it awkward, he kisses Trott.

 **Leon** : Trott looks surprised, and glances over at Ross when Smith pulls away. But Ross just smiles at him, and it feels weird that Ross seems so happy to see Smith kissing him, but it helps, somehow.

 **Three** : Ross is just happy to see everyone happy. He can see a lot of that tense, twitchy tension has left Trott since he's had a couple hours to just relax here quietly, and now he has Smith cuddling him.

 **Leon** : Smith is still in his work clothes, but he doesn’t care because Trott is letting him hold him, and Ross is snuggled up behind him, and maybe there will be a lot more nights like this

 **Three** : Ross hopes that maybe Trott will get a little more used to being around both of them at the same time if they do some of this, and it will be easier when they move in together. He's already idly daydreaming about Sunday evenings, the three of them curled up together. Ross hadn't realized how much he wanted this until it was a real possibility.

 **Leon** : So does Ross talk to Smith before he talks to Trott

 **Three** : I think he must

he probably chews on it a lot, before bringing it up and making Smith swear not to say anything

 **Leon** : Sends Smith off for an evening. Offers his child watching services for a night to a family that needs to go off to visit ailing relations in the hospital but doesn’t want to take the kids along, and takes the opportunity to tell Smith before he goes off

So Ross can talk to Trott without Smith bouncing around and wanting everyone to kiss already

 **Three** : And I think Ross is sensitive to wanting to make sure Smith is okay too, before he opens this can of worms. Both with how it might be, and the possibility Trott might not want this.

 **Leon** : I think Ross feels fairly confident that Trott might want that. That they've been living together for a while, and that sometimes it feels like they're already there, they just haven't put the words on it yet.

 **Three** : But he'd try to temper Smith's expectations, just to be safe.

Smith is unrestrained enthusiasm

 **Leon** : I think that Trott spends a lot of time in with Ross and Smith. He gets sort of used to it being Smith in the middle, and the comfort of having them both there. He still spends nights in his bed, in part because he feels like he should. And Smith makes sure to sometimes tug Trott off to his room and Ross claims he gets to finally enjoy having enough covers and space to sprawl

(I'd like to point out that we've gone this far, and have yet to talk smut.)

 **Three** : (HAHAHA)

Trott probably gets used to a certain amount of cuddling and closeness. I imagine Smith's the type to sit up in bed when he's reading, and Ross uses him as a pillow, and Trott leans up against his other side.

 **Leon** : Trott feels comfortable around Ross

so it doesn’t feel odd to have that casual closeness with him

 **Three** : Enough that he doesn't mind when Smith kisses him in front of Ross now.

 **Leon** : after the initial adjustments, of sleeping with people regularly again, the different noises of life removed from a city, and from a house of young college students

 **Three** : The quiet is probably unnerving

 **Leon** : The first nights where he's resolutely sleeping in his room are very strange, because it’s so quiet, he can hear the blankets shift when Ross or Smith turns over

 **Three** : Everything makes weird sounds at night

I'm imagining Ross would spend a lot of time wondering how exactly to talk to Trott. If they should sit on the porch, or on the sofa, or what. When and how so Trott doesn't think Ross is initiating break up talk.

 **Leon** : So, consider Ross talking with Trott in the evening, as they're cleaning up from dinner without Smith. Ross asking Trott if he wants to sleep in his own room, or in with Ross

"Because I'd like you to sleep with me, but whatever works for you is fine Trott"

Ross tries to constantly add that these things are fine, that there isn’t an expectation on this

They had a conversation, that Trott would prefer they ask, if there is uncertainty

 **Three** : Ross relishes the occasional time to sprawl across the bed, but mostly he likes sleeping next to someone. It's very comforting to him.

He probably spent his own money making sure they had good mattresses on all the beds

 **Leon** : Trott just stares at him, a bit dumbfounded.

 **Three** : "Oh that sounded." Ross blushing. "Um. Well. What I meant was- oh goddamn it." Ross' careful plan undone by his careless wording.

 **Leon** : "No, I knew what you meant I just didn't even consider that that might be something you'd want?"

 **Three** : "Trott, you know that I like you. You're part of my life and my home." Ross holds out his hands. He's learned that you have to let Trott come to you, like a cat, rather than grabbing him or chasing him.

 **Leon** : "Are you talking about what I think you're talking about? You might have to spell it out for me Ross" Trott puts down the pan he was drying, setting his damp hands on Ross'. He feels like he knows what Ross is saying, he just didn’t think it was something that was possible, or that he'd want, and that he didn't notice how his feelings happened around Ross because it wasn't so full of sudden emotions like with Smith. But thinking about it, it makes sense, and feels comfortable and quiet in that Ross way where he's unassuming and weirdly smart.

 **Three** : "I wanted to say something for a long time, but I didn't want you to think I was pushing you. But I like you a lot more than just as my friend who happens to be dating my boyfriend. Kind of more like I'd like you to be my boyfriend too." Ross holds Trott's hands very gently.

 **Leon** : "Well." Trott closes his eyes. Thinking of all the times he's talked with Ross, leaned on him and written off the closeness as something in the nature of their friendship. "I'm assuming Smith knows?" Trott feels a bit unmoored by this sudden realization. And he wants to lean into Ross and let that ground him. So he does, and it feels very right to have Ross wrap his arms around his shoulders, and to settle his hands at the small of Ross back

 **Three** : "He does. I sent him off so he wouldn't hang around pestering us both until we decided what we wanted to do." Ross rests his chin against Trott's hair, rocking them slowly back and forth.

"I don't think he was surprised at all."

 **Leon** : "I feel a bit surprised." Trott blows out a breath, considering things that just hadn’t crossed his mind before.

"How long ago did you want to say something?" Trott wonders, thinking back and trying to pinpoint the place where he could define his feelings as changing, because he's sure they did, but he can't trace to that moment

 **Three** : "Months. You remember the first time we came out here, just for that weekend? My mom asked me if I was in love with you too, and it just sort of clicked. I felt dumb, like I did when Smith finally kissed me and I realized he'd been flirting all that time."

 **Leon** : "I feel pretty dumb too. I just didn’t even think it would be possible. And with Smith we were spending time together and I just figured it was okay, how things were. You know I hadn’t really done friends or dating, it just seemed to be maybe a different sort of friendship than I thought friendship was. But that maybe that was just me."

 **Three** : "You're not wrong though," Ross says thoughtfully. "It is just a different sort of friendship, ultimately. I think that's why dating seemed so confusing when I went off to college. I was used to people here, and things being sort of more relaxed most of the time."

 **Leon** : Trott nods. It’s comforting knowing that they don't really have to explain themselves here. It’s helped him feel more comfortable being affectionate, being removed from situations where he feels guilty for having a relationship, or like he has to hide it at all times

 **Three** : "There is only one thing that I think might be difficult about this."

Ross closes his eyes, running one hand up and down Trott's back.

 **Leon** : "Dare I ask?" Trott can sort of sense from Ross' tone that there might be a joke hidden in there

 **Three** : "We're going to have to get Smith out of the habit of always taking the middle of the bed."

 **Leon** : Trott snorts, hugging Ross tighter

 **Three** : Ross is so pleased with how well this is going.

 **Leon** : "To answer your earlier question, yes I'll sleep in with you tonight."

Trott is glad in a way that he and Ross can work this out without Smith around. It feels like they need to reestablish their own equilibriums and Smith is so very present always. Trott thinks that Smith will be giddy and happy about this, but right now he just wants to go lay down and sleep curled up next to Ross

 **Three** : "Come on then, let's go to bed. I'm tired, and the dishes are done." Ross just wants to wrap them both in his big fluffy blanket and maybe kiss Trott a little and go to sleep.

He's absolutely sure Smith will wake them up when he comes in and finds them curled up together.

 **Leon** : Trott doesn’t feel as anxious as he thought he might, it just feels familiar as he settles in the spot Smith usually takes, and slides his hand under Ross' faded star wars t-shirt that he sleeps in even though it has holes

Lets himself lean closer and kiss Ross sleepily.

 **Three** : Ross makes soft, happy sounds, one hand resting on the back of Trott's neck. Finally being able to just kiss Trott ranks high on list of best possible moments. There's a billion things that will come up, but right now he just wants to enjoy how easy it is to do this.

 **Leon** : Trott leans his forehead on Ross' closing his eyes. It definitely feels better, falling asleep next to someone, and he now has no reason to feel guilty for being there, or like he's imposing on Ross


	6. Chapter 6

**Three** : so I was thinking about the farm

**Leon** : go on

**Three** : I think they must have a lot of different things. like yes, some animals, but probably also some vegetables they produce in a bigger scale

and hence the need for someone to be in charge of getting that to the farmer's market/local co-op they sell to

I think Trott could end up working with that

**Leon** : absolutely, i like it

Trott has LOTS of customer service experience

**Three** : trott's probably got some experience with the fiddly managerial side of ordering supplies and arranging for delivery of things, so it isn't too much of a jump

**Leon** : and he gets to drive the truck into town every wednesday, friday, and saturday

and sometimes Ross of Smith comes, but he's good at coordinating it. I like it

**Three** : excellent

I think he'd like it, because it is less stressful than a pet store and while there are still weird customers they are a different kind of weird and on the whole mostly easier to deal with

especially because there's no corporate hanging over his head for complaints

**Leon** : he's got the responsibility, but also the rule making capabilities

its autonomy, and way less stressful

**Three** : and if he's doing the farmer's markets, there's often someone to come along with him. One of the older teens, or someone else. Maybe Kim some weeks.

**Leon** : Kim and Trott have similar taste in music, and they get along very well

**Three** : yessss

**Three** : Trott makes a FRIEND

**Leon** : Kim tells stories about the jobs she had, the crazy things she used ot do when she was younger

Kim was absolutely an activist who participated in a lot of protests

**Three** : I was going to say, I totally picture her as this out, rebel lesbian who got into fights at protests

**Leon** : Kim had/has a motorbike

**Leon** : Ross totally drops a "Trott, you should chat with Aunt Kim about music" that first evening, because he knows they'll like each other

**Three** : Kim and Trott stay up drinking wine, talking about music. They both make fun of Smith's appalling indiscriminate taste in music.

**Leon** : Kim provides a nice companionship for Trott, gets him out of the house with weird tasks she claims she's too old to do

Ross probably told her he worries about Trott, and Ross is basically her kid too, so she takes it upon herself to be of assistance for Trott

So, also please consider: Lom who was totally smitten with young and reckless lesbian activist Kim

**Three** : Oh yes, totally

**Leon** : raised by uptight conservative parents

**Three** : PAGEANT PRINCESS LOM

**Leon** : DING DING

so she's got that perspective that she can talk to Trott about, not being raised in this weird life

**Three** : Totally swoons the first time she sees Kim crack a bottle over some asshole's head

**Leon** : at a party or something, the guy was being terrible and Kim just lets out a rage filled yell and smashes her beer onto his skull

**Three** : hahaha I love it

I love it so much

I suspect Smith is good with kids because of his enthusiasm for things

Smith sort of drifts into a lot of odd jobs, manual labor things, spending time looking after some of the kids while they learn to do farm things

**Leon** : Definitely good with the kids

There's a lot of small jobs that just need extra hands

**Three** : Smith likes not having a fixed schedule

**Leon** : also the feeling like he's actually doing something, his biggest problem with retail was how pointless it felt

**Three** : yess

**Leon** : it frustrated him to no end, but here he has tangible things he can fix, or do. And they have noticeable results, that mean something

**Three** : Smith would not have guessed he would be so happy living in a hippie commune farm, but there he is

**Leon** : occasionally they go out for fast food because smith just wants a shitty burger every now and again

**Three** : french fries and grease

**Leon** : "I know meat is murder and everything but god i just want some mcdonalds"

**Three** : "We eat meat at home!" Ross rolls his eyes.

**Leon** : "It's not the same, its not shitty, i crave the shittiness Ross! Let me destroy the temple that is my body!"

**Three** : Ross laughing. "Only if we get milkshakes. I want a milkshake."

**Leon** : Trott eats a massive amount of fries

**Three** : Ross eats chicken nuggets. He knows they are terrible, but he loves them the way you love things you never got as a child.

**Leon** : And he lets Trott dip his fries in his milkshake

While Smith eats two burgers and fries and also a milkshake of his own

**Three** : Smith misses sometimes eating like a ridiculous bachelor

He and Tom ate a lot of crap, but Ross is a good cook, and Smith has learned to help out a little in the kitchen or at least be out of the way

**Leon** : He can manage on his own now, Ross has taught him to make a few things

Trott is a surprisingly okay cook, he just didn’t when he had roommates, he's not as in love with cooking as Ross is but he will gladly do it

**Three** : Ross gets very competitive at the summer pie baking contest

**Leon** : absolutely, the prize includes some of the dandelion wine that Kim and Lom make

Kim tells Ross that if he bakes her two pies of her choice she'll give him a bottle anyways, and he insists it's not as good as him winning it

**Three** : Smith is happy to taste test everything Ross feels like baking

**Leon** : "If you want to taste test, you have to go pick the berries Smith"

**Three** : Smith picking blackberries all morning for him, coming home with a bit of a sunburn

**Leon** : Trott insists on making Smith wear a ridiculous straw hat, and long sleeves because he's always burning

**Three** : Trott coming home with new shirts for smith because he just doesn't own any with sleeves

**Leon** : "Stop dressing like you're a teenager Smith"

**Three** : "Whyyyy, we live with hippies Trott!"

**Leon** : "Because you're miserable when you have sunburn."

"Just because you're covered in dirt doesn't mean your clothes have to be terrible"

Smith winds up with some light colored long sleeved tshirts

**Three** : "I'm not covered in dirt!" Smith making an offended face. "I took a shower when I got back."

**Leon** : "You know what I mean." Smith is the worst about demanding someone scrub his back in the shower

**Three** : Smith lives to be petted and loves showering with someone else, especially if it means someone will wash his hair or scrub his back and pay attention to him.

**Leon** : The weird little adjustments like taking showers in the evening, after the solar water heater has had time to do its thing

**Three** : Trott was secretly dreading things, is immensely relieved to have running water and electricity.

**Leon** : they have some solar panels, and do a lot of work to conserve electricity etc

**Three** : I sort of imagine this taking place in the eastern half of Colorado. the flatter side, without all the mountains. New Mexico is too dry, or I would say there

**Leon** : Colorado it is then

**Three** : just north enough to have a winter, lots of wide open space for agriculture, community farming initiatives, and warm summers, lots of sunlight

**Leon** : Trott can indulge some of his need for isolation

There’s a few people who require a lot of space, who are there because they really couldn’t do people

I think Trott finds it much easier after a while though, to just let himself be, and be around people

**Three** : I like to think Caroline and some of the other older folks pooled their money and bought the land when it was super cheap, in their hippie youth, so they have a big chunk of it

Trott being in an environment where the social aspect doesn't require him to perform or hide himself is good for him

**Leon** : It's built up slowly, and they've acquired some of the surrounding properties as they come available

It still feels very weird for Trott, the casual acceptance of whatever. How he can kiss Smith and it’s not weird, and Ross and it’s not weird. And even be affectionate with them in front of other people

**Three** : That Ross' mom KNOWS, and is just clearly happy about it.

That there are other gay people there too, that's probably a big thing for him

**Leon** : Trott has never seen anyone even remotely like him

Maybe one or two other people his age, but he doesn’t have that "this is what my future could be"

**Three** : Caroline probably encourages them to come eat semi regularly at her home, or at Kim and Lom's.

She is unsurprisingly all about food as community and love

**Leon** : There is a habit of having people over for dinner often, and it is odd to Trott and Smith, but Ross loves it

**Three** : Smith watching Ross and his mom in the kitchen, heads bent towards each other, talking and laughing while they make dinner

Smith is probably the one who asks about Ross' dad

**Leon** : Trott doesn’t pry, about pretty much anything

**Three** : Smith would be super curious.

Ross would kind of shrug, and Caroline would laugh.

"He was a very pretty art school boy who was not boyfriend material. We went out a couple times, and then he was gone. That's all."

**Leon** : "He must have been pretty to make Ross" Smith says, because it makes Ross blush

**Three** : "Oh, very, very pretty. But Ross grew up smart and sweet on his own." Caroline is terribly proud of Ross, because lots of people probably told her what a terrible idea it was to be a single mother, or a hippie mother raising her kid with a bunch of other kids.

**Leon** : Lots of people in the grocery store giving her the sad/judgey eyes when she said that no, she was not marrying the father.

**Three** : That was probably part of why they homeschooled the kids, because of judgey people in town

**Leon** : I think they probably homeschool the kids for a little, but Ross eventually did go to public school

**Three** : probably for high school

**Leon** : socially awkward Ross, who was very smart but not quite up on the pop culture of his peers

**Three** : Trott probably struggles some with his quiet envy of how close Ross and his mom are, how easy it seems to be for her to love her kid who came home with TWO boyfriends

Smith's parents are just mildly relieved he's found a job and isn't moving home to live in the basement like their neighbors kids

**Leon** : Smith's parents don't ask what he's doing, they're mildly judgey about it, but he's working.

Even if he did go off and join a bunch of hippies

**Three** : ugh I love them so much

I am just here for Ross sleepily making pancakes in the morning, and kissing each of them, and Trott making coffee, and Smith is surprisingly a good morning person.

**Leon** : yesss

when he doesn’t have a reason to stay up late Smith is very content to wake up at dawn

Trott can never quite get used to it. Hence the coffee

**Three** : Trott's not functional without coffee

Please just imagine how happy Ross would be, with Smith curled up on one side of him, and Trott leaning on the other while Ross does a crossword puzzle or something

lazy Sunday evening

**Leon** : Smith is very content, because Ross lets him use his shoulder as a pillow and Trott has sort of forgotten what it was like to feel so displaced and alone

Sometimes it hits him, he looks at Ross, frowning at his crossword and chewing on his pen, he had to get reading glasses and he claims it makes him feel old, but Trott thinks he looks rather nice in them.

**Three** : It probably helps that Smith is so perpetually trying to spend as much time as possible with both of them, that he flits back and forth and doesn't seem to play favorites or anything like Trott feared.

And Ross is good at pulling Smith away when Trott has a mood or needs some space.

**Leon** : Ross will also send Smith to give Trott a hug if he's feeling morose

And Ross is very good at the quiet comfort, helping Trott with whatever thing seems to be frustrating him, being around but not crowding

Smith is just glad to get to see them both so much

Living with them is probably his favorite thing

**Three** : Smith does not much enjoy being alone. He likes being around people, especially people he likes.

Please imagine that Ross is one of those people who will get very intent on a task, and it is hard to drag him away from it

**Leon** : He forgets to turn the lights on, while he's fussing fixing some shelving

it gets dark and Trott just walks in and flips the switch

**Three** : Ross not wanting to get up and come to bed, because he's trying to fix something he's been fussing with for ages

**Leon** : Smith falls asleep very fast, so Trott is the one to come fetch him

and that makes Ross so happy

He doesn't press Trott for declarations of affection but he always enjoys knowing that Trott is thinking about him, and wants him to come to bed, and tucks the blankets around his shoulders and will curl closer while Smith plasters himself to Ross' back

**Three** : Please consider that Smith has had enough of Ross staying up and not coming to bed, so he begins demonstratively making out with Trott to try to get Ross' attention.

**Leon** : Ross is completely oblivious

Much to Smith's dismay

**Three** : It's only when Trott makes a strangled, accidentally loud "ffffuck" that Ross even looks up

Just in time to see Smith going down on him.

**Leon** : Ross just blinks and watches for a moment, because he does enjoy that

and he has an excellent view of Trott from where he was sitting on the floor organizing their (mostly Trott's) music collection

Smith's got Trott's shirt pushed up, thumb rubbing Trott's side where he's resting his hand on Trott's ribs

**Three** : Trott with one hand in his mouth, and the other on Smith's head, tangled in his hair that's getting long again, one leg up on Smith's shoulder.

**Leon** : Blinks up at Ross a bit startled when Ross slides onto the bed. Ross reaches out for Trott and kisses him, running his hands through Trott's hair. Trott probably goes the opposite way of Smith, keeps his hair shorter so it’s less in his face

Smith moves his hand to Ross' leg, sliding it beneath Ross' jeans

**Three** : Ross putting a hand down with Trott's on top of Smith's head, encouraging him while he makes out with Trott.

Ross super likes it when they can gang up on Trott and make him feel good.

**Leon** : Ross is very invested in pleasing Trott

He gets a lot from doing that, because he feels very keenly the distinct lack of good things Trott has had, and he always looks so good when they do things to and for him

**Three** : I think Ross is sort of shy about asking for things, and is the type to get very invested in doing for other people, and very overwhelmed by much concentrated direct attention.

**Leon** : Trott is also very loathe to ask for things, so Ross half without noticing just pursues that and tries to do things for Trott without him having to ask

Smith however, is very vocal about the things he wants

**Three** : I think Smith is probably the most experienced, and Smith is just a hedonistic, sex happy person

**Leon** : He's probably the one to suggest Trott and Ross /can do things without him you know, he's not going to get mad, also seeing them do stuff to each other and not just him would be totally hot, just saying

**Three** : "Please, just make out for me. A little. Come on."

**Leon** : Trott balks a bit at that, because he and Ross have kissed, but having an audience always makes him nervy

**Three** : Ross just laughing at Smith. "You are the worst."

**Leon** : Ross goes in for a kiss with Trott, making sure to give him ample time to back out if he needs to. Kisses his forehead, his cheek. Slowly and deliberately kissing his mouth.

Smith just stares because his brain has short circuited a little bit

**Three** : Smith just completely lost in watching them. Ross finally opening his eyes to look over at him because Smith hasn't made a sound and he has this dopey expression and an erection.

**Leon** : Trott rolls his eyes at Smith, leans onto Ross and tries not to feel embarrassed or weird

it’s easier, now than it would ever be, but he still has the nagging worries

**Three** : "Smith, you are The Worst." Ross is very amused at the way Smith goes red.

**Leon** : "If that’s what he looks like with us kissing imagine if we have sex"

**Three** : Smith makes a little whimpery noise.

**Leon** : He's imagining it now, and so are Ross and Trott

I think that Ross and Trott haven't done much, if anything with each other. Other than the times it's been the three of them, and usually they are less actively involved with each other, more Smith.

**Three** : Probably lots of making out

**Leon** : and lots of snuggling

I'm imagining Trott leaning over Smith with Ross fucking him, because Ross in this would enjoy that, focusing a lot on the other person. And Smith just always likes getting fucked, clearly

**Three** : Smith always likes getting fucked

headcanon accepted

**Leon** : the universal truth of all the Smiths

**Three** : Smith making little high pitched sounds, watching Trott and Ross kiss while Ross is fucking him

**Leon** : choked off "oh god-"s because he's not sure why but it does things to him seeing them kiss

And the way Trott leaves his hand on Ross' cheek when Ross drops his head and looks down at Smith

**Three** : Ross probably orchestrates Smith blowing Trott while Ross fucks him, because he knows that's high on Smith's fantasy list of Things He'd Really Like To Do, and Ross is definitely a pleaser who is more than happy to facilitate such a moment

**Leon** : Smith's fantasy list spans from the "doable" to the "completely ludicrous, Jesus Christ smith"

"No Smith you do not want a literal romp in the hay. That will end in tears, hives, and hay splinters in your ass"

his fantasy list includes a lot of things Trott and Ross do to each other, now that he's seen them kiss that one time and all the other times. 

it’s become a Thing for him

**Three** : My final thought. Ross who gets tipsy very easily, and doesn't drink much. The times Ross does get drunk, he becomes the sort of person to get worked up over weird stuff. They get drunk one summer night, and Ross ends up crying about how he's never going to walk on the moon and he didn't become an astronaut and it would be hysterically funny if it wasn't also kind of sad and ridiculous. Ross doesn't remember any of it the next day.

Trott decides never to give Ross too much whiskey ever again


	7. Chapter 7

**Leon** : pet store au:  [ http://ao3tags.tumblr.com/post/142364836297/source ](http://ao3tags.tumblr.com/post/142364836297/source)

smith and trott at the start clearly

I am picturing Trott consoling a crying Ross about not being an astronaut, petting his hair and trying to tell him it's okay, lots of people don't walk on the moon Ross, hugging him while Ross cries into his shoulder and Trott looks at Smith like "I am way too drunk to be dealing with this" and Smith is just laughing hysterically which only makes Ross cry harder because Smith is laughing at his DREAMS TROTT

**Three** : SMITH IS LAUGHING AT HIS DREAMS TROTT

WHY IS SMITH SO MEAN

**Leon** : "there there, he's not laughing at your dreams"

"YES I AM"

"SMITH"

**Three** : Trott chucking a throw pillow at Smith, who just proceeds to roll around on the floor

**Leon** : Ross refuses to snuggle Smith later, when Trott finally hauls him off to bed

"NO I'M HUGGING TROTT" hides his face against Trott's chest

**Three** : Trott just sighing and giving Smith a "what did you expect you prat" look while Smith whines and paws at Ross

"Smith, just lay down on the other side, for fuck's sake."

**Leon** : I think Caroline/Kim/Lom make them a quilt

And Ross jokes that they need it because Smith is a blanket thief, and now he and Trott can have a blanket, and Smith can have his own

**Three** : Oh yessssssssss

Smith whines that he wants to be under the blanket too

**Leon** : it's probably a Thing, so I'm imagining them having an incREDIBLY hippie wedding

**Three** : Ross tells him to stop rolling up like a burrito

OH MY GOD

**Leon** : and that being their gift from Caroline

look

I have been to at least one INCREDIBLY HIPPIE WEDDING

**Three** : ZOEY THE PAGAN HIGH PRIESTESS

**Leon** : OH YES

**Three** : DOWN THE ROAD

COMES UP FOR THE WEDDING

**Leon** : Trott and Smith are somewhat perplexed, but it winds up being this weird fun thing and they love it

Trott and Smith have multiple "What the hell are we doing" moments coming up to it

Smith is like "should...I invite my parents?" and Trott just looks at him and they start crying laughing

**Three** : Please consider that Smith sends a Christmas card with a picture of the three of them, and a little note about how we're getting married!

**Leon** : please imagine this

pLEASE

so the hand tying thing

I think when I’ve seen/heard about it they leave their hands tied together for the rest of the party/whatever

and of course Smith is in the middle so Trott and Ross both have to give him cake

**Three** : It's a spring ceremony of course

**Leon** : and it works out because Ross and Trott are opposite hand dominances

**Three** : hahah

I sort of want Smith to be the one who brings up the marriage idea

maybe they go to some other wedding, someone else in the community

**Leon** : yesss

Smith with all sorts of questions to Caroline about how marriage works in the community after they are guests at a wedding

maybe one of the kids Ross went to school with, a friend of his

**Three** : Caroline to her credit restrains herself from the impulse to ask if Smith's thinking about marrying Trott and Ross, but she can see the wheels turning

**Leon** : She doesn't have to ask to know that's something Smith is thinking about

She sees the light dawn in his eyes at the wedding

**Three** : Please also consider Smith letting his hair grow real long that year, and Caroline sitting there combing it out and braiding it for him

**Leon** : Smith by the fire, looking across as Trott leans on Ross and they laugh about something, looking back at the couple, looking back at Trott and Ross

**Three** : Smith who has suddenly never wanted anything more in his life

**Leon** : Smith with a ponytail and a beard

really going for that look

**Three** : yes

Teaching Trott how to play some song he knows, the two of them sitting on the porch in the evening

**Leon** : Ross knitting a sweater while listening to them play

One of the first warm evenings of the year, things are really starting to pick up after winter

or perhaps in the fall, as things start to quiet down. Smith has been thinking about this whole weddings business a lot recently

and Trott's figuring out how to play and looking at the little paper with the lyrics for some old timey romance song

**Three** : Makes a comment about how sappy this is, asks if Smith's going to take up playing weddings

**Leon** : Smith got talked into singing/playing at the last wedding

Ross tipsily volunteered him

**Three** : Caroline leaning over to Ross and making a comment about how she sees why Ross keeps him around, and Ross shushing her

**Leon** : Smith probably brings up them getting married at a totally random time

like over dinner, they're just quiet and eating their food and he just comes out with

"What if we got married"

**Three** : Trott making a face. "What."

Ross just pausing, staring across the table at Smith, fork in mid air.

**Leon** : "You know, what if we got married"

Trott looking at him "Can we even DO that?" it just hadn't occurred to him

**Three** : "Well probably not legally, but like, we could get married unofficially... like out here."

**Leon** : Ross looking very pensive

**Three** : "Smith we can just have a party if that's what you want..." Trott's not entirely sure if he's serious. Sometimes it is hard to tell.

"Trott! That's not the point!"

"I was just thinking it would be nice, if we could say, this is our life and we're married and all..."

**Leon** : Smith looking so crestfallen because he thinks Trott thinks his idea is stupid and he's been getting so very invested in this for weeks

**Three** : Trott making a little sad frowny face, because Smith's serious and shit, this is terrifying. He'd never considered getting married. That felt like a thing other people did. People who were going to have kids and live normal, suburban lives. Reaching out to rest his fingertips against Smith's arm on the table.

**Leon** : "We could do that, I'm not really sure how, or what that would look like but I'm sure we could figure it out Smith" Looking at Ross for confirmation, that this is something he's on board with

**Three** : Ross, wondering if this is what he wants to do. Caroline never pressured him to do any particular thing with his life, and there were a lot of adults to model various ways of living. He's so in love with them, that's not hard or a question at all.

"Well. We figured this out, right? We could probably figure out how to be married if we wanted."

**Leon** : Smith looking at them so happy, he wants to kiss them both immediately, because he loves them a lot

**Three** : Ross is glad they have such sturdy chairs, for when Smith decides to climb in his lap.

**Leon** : Smith with his need to straddle Ross and kiss his face and neck

"Smith! Stop! I'm busy!"

"Yeah! KISSING ME"

**Three** : "Smith!" Ross trying to work around him but Smith is too much in the way, and then he starts nipping at Ross' ear and it is too much.

"You're lucky I don't stab you with the screwdriver."

**Leon** : "You can stab me with your screwdriver any day Ross"

"You too Trott!" Smith leans his head back to look at Trott

"Keep me out of this, I'm working"

**Three** : "But Trooooooooott, I'm having kinky thoughts!"

**Leon** : "Exactly. No kinky thoughts before 4pm."

**Three** : "But whhhhhyyyyyyy, that's not fair."

**Leon** : "Because the day only lasts so long Smith, we can fool around all you want later"

**Three** : "I could tie you to the bed and leave you there," Ross offers helpfully.

**Leon** : "That’s not fun Ross!"

"It is for me" Trott says, completely deadpan

**Three** : Ross kissing Smith who is grumbly. "Come on. Later, I promise to do something fun."

**Leon** : I imagine several people at the commune are into kink and Smith has another wide eyed moment of TROTT. ROSS. CAN WE DO THAT? After having a discussion with these people at some point

**Three** : "Oh my god, were you talking to Aunt Kathy?" Ross covering his face with his hands.

**Leon** : "WHY do you think I was talking to your Aunt Kathy?! But yes. Yes I was"

**Three** : "Because I KNOW what Aunt Kathy is like, so I know exactly where you picked this idea up!"

**Leon** : "Come on you can't tell me it wouldn't be hot to tie me up and fuck me Ross."

**Three** : Ross making a little faint, whimpery noise and looking over his hands at Smith.

**Leon** : Smith is just grinning at him because he knows he's going to get what he wants

**Three** : Ross is very, very indulgent of them

**Leon** : Ross is very invested in figuring out what they like and doing that, a lot

Perhaps especially Trott, who is still so reserved sometimes

**Three** : Smith probably gets Trott one day and outlines a plan for the two of them to do something nice for Ross, who after all has made so much of this possible by being weird and smart and too nice to both of them.

"Trott! Help me make dinner for Ross!"

"And then we can all go snuggle together and make out."

**Leon** : make one of Ross' favorite dishes and a cake or something

they don't have sweets often

**Three** : strawberry shortcake

**Leon** : and Ross LOVES sweets

**Three** : Ross was the kid who begged nonstop for candy at the store

* * *

 

**Leon** : i keep thinking about a terribly hippie wedding

**Three** : would ross be barefoot

I kind of think he would

**Leon** : they all are, clearly

**Three** : Trott giving him the side eye about this

"What do you mean, we don't need shoes"

**Leon** : Smith and Ross are barely formal looking, Trott looks a bit more formal but he's still barefoot

**Three** : Aunt Kim taking Trott to some thrift store, finding him a nice battered old black dinner jacket and some pants to wear, so he can be something like what he imagines he should be

rock star chic

**Leon** : Smith in a nice green shirt

flowers everywhere, there's a lot of flowers which amuses Trott in some way, but he can't quite pinpoint why

Smith just likes flicking petals at both of them

**Three** : picnic tables in the grass

**Leon** : It rains a bit

**Three** : I sort of imagine this happens at Caroline's place

**Leon** : which Zoey insists is a good omen, rain brings about growth and beginnings and is the source of all life

under a big tree in Caroline's yard

**Three** : A three tier cake

**Leon** : Lom makes the cake

Lom was very good at all the things any proper wife-to-be should be

**Three** : yes, she had that whole finishing school thing down

**Leon** : Trott is half torn between thinking this whole thing is a bit ridiculous, and being very overwhelmed by how lovely it is

Smith is excitable and giddy

**Three** :  [ http://www.brides.com/real-weddings/2000000002687855 ](http://www.brides.com/real-weddings/2000000002687855)

**Leon** : Ross is all quiet and pleased and spends a lot of time exchanging fond glances with Trott while Smith tugs on their hands and insists on getting more cake

**Three** : Cake and barbecue

And a couple days off from all their responsibilities

**Leon** : I think they go off somewhere

**Three** : to the mountains!

the rockies are close

**Leon** : Because Caroline knows Trott will find something to do

so they go get a cabin in the rockies for a few days, maybe a week

**Three** : some cabin with a hot tub

**Leon** : YES

**Three** : Smith's new favorite thing

**Leon** : It's still a bit chilly, because they had the wedding in spring

and Smith loves getting Trott and Ross to come sit in the hot tub with him

**Three** : Everyone likes a bit of evening hot tub time right

**Leon** : "Come sit with me, being naked in a hot tub under the stars is at least the third most romantic thing we could be doing right now"

"whats number one and two" Ross says all innocently, trailing a hand through the bubbles

Smith's plastered himself against Trott and is trying to get Trott out of his underwear

They didn't even think to pack swimming things, because Caroline probably booked this for them without telling them, and just sent them off

**Three** : Despite it being genuinely miles from anything, Trott's probably still frowny face about being naked outside

Ross making them cold drinks, lots of ice cubes and big plastic cups for sitting out there

**Leon** : Smith gets naked first thing and Ross does too, but Trott resolutely keeps his underwear on

Smith's pleading and Ross' "come on Trott," win him over

**Three** : Smith's also got wandering hands

That helps

**Leon** : "Smith what is your hand doing down my underwear:

"Just because my hands are wandering doesn't mean they're lost Trott"

"I cannot believe you just said that. Get out of the hot tub, you're banished for five minutes"

**Three** : "Rosssssssss, Trott's trying to kick me out of the hot tub."

**Leon** : "I'm staying out of this" Ross holds up his hands, and Smith poutily goes to get more drinks

This is the point where Ross quietly convinces Trott to get naked with them

**Three** : Ross playing footsie with Trott, that little smile he has the entire time, gesturing for Trott to slide over to Ross' side of the hot tub

**Leon** : "Come on Trott, it feels nice. Plus I like you naked"

tucking Trott against his side, tugging at the waistband of Trott's boxers

**Three** : Trott sighing, because he is so put upon and the things he does to keep people happy.

**Leon** : Ross smiling when Trott stands up in the center and lets Ross tug off his underwear, kissing Trott's front because Ross just feels so happy to be here with them and be able to do this

Smith comes back to see Trott naked in Ross' lap, pushing Ross against the side of the hot tub and making out, Ross still with Trott's underwear in one hand

**Three** : Smith clambering back into the hot tub, whining at them, not sure who he wants to kiss more.

Because this is what dreams are made of his two husbands making out in the hot tub

**Leon** : Ross pushing Trott into Smith's lap, kneeling so he can press Trott between them, looking at Smith and kissing Trott some more

**Three** : Smith trying to pet them both at the same time, rubbing his face against Trott's wet hair.

**Leon** : Smith was already feeling randy, now he just wants to fall in bed with both of them, but that means getting out of the hot tub

**Three** : Such cruel choices in his life

**Leon** : Kissing Trott's shoulder, tasting the chlorine and trying to press himself as close as he can to both of them

**Three** : Trott grinning at Ross and wiggling backward just enough to get a gasp out of Smith

Watching Ross try not to laugh

**Leon** : They both have the same idea and settle on either side of Smith, and set about kissing him and touching him

Trott tangling his fingers in Smith's wet curls, tugging his head back so he can kiss Smith's throat

**Three** : Smith making wonderful, whimpery sounds while Ross runs his hand up Smith's leg and crowds against him.

**Leon** : Trott putting his other hand on Ross shoulder, a little point of contact between them

**Three** : "We should get out before we're prunes," Ross suggests, leaning across Smith to nuzzle Trott.

**Leon** : "Yeah, I'm getting tired. I think it's time to go to sleep" Trott says, kissing Ross' cheek

pointedly ignoring the looks of dismay Smith is giving them

**Three** : "Come on Smith, time for bed." Ross patting him. "Come help me tuck Trott in, yeah?"

**Leon** : "You can't just leave me hanging like this!"

**Three** : "Come on Smith, come to bed." Trott slipping out of his grasp and out of the hot tub.

**Leon** : Ross and Smith sit for a moment, watching Trott walk naked across the deck and into the cabin

"We should go after him, before he really does fall asleep"

**Three** : "Ross, I'm not sleepy." Smith nipping at Ross' shoulder.

"Come on then." Ross laughing and pulling him close. "Let's go see Trott."

**Leon** : Trott sprawls on the bed, tugging the sheets around. He has zero intention of sleeping but it is nice to lay on the sheets. He's considering that they should probably shower, because the chlorine from the hot tub is making his skin itch.

**Three** : Smith flings himself on the bed, making it bounce and Trott yelp.

Ross follows more slowly, flipping off lights.

**Leon** : Watches Smith slide himself up against Trott, hands everywhere

Trott lets Smith get out some of his pent up eagerness, kissing him back and letting Smith push him onto his back

**Three** : Ross sitting down slowly, running a hand up Smith's bare back while Smith and trott kiss

**Leon** : Smith getting a bit shivery, because he's still damn and it's a bit cool in the bedroom

Clearly Ross just needs to get closer

**Three** : Smith fumbling for Ross, trying to pull him down beside Trott so Smith can attempt to lay on them both at the same time.

**Leon** : Ross just laughs, Smith is trying to both kiss Trott and figure out their positioning at the same time and he's making frustrated little whines because it's difficult to do both

**Three** : "You're so greedy Smith," Ross says, his voice affectionate and happy.

**Leon** : "I'm not greedy, you've both just been teasing me for the past hour and I want us to have sex already." Smith huffs, feeling slightly indignant

Trott snorts

**Three** : "Come here." Ross drags Smith onto his back between them, making everyone shift around. "We'll stop teasing then, if you want."

Ross starts stroking Smith, and Trott puts his hand over Ross'

**Leon** : Smith being shamelessly noisy, kissing both of them and squirming between them

**Three** : Trott sucking marks into his neck

Smith's leg hooked over Trott's legs.

Ross talking in his ear about how beautiful he is when he's all flushed and needy and wanting

**Leon** : Smith wanted to drag this out a bit, and he probably had all sorts of ideas about all the things he wanted to do with them, but with Ross' voice in his ear and Trott's mouth on him its about all he can do to just hang on

**Three** : Trott sliding his hand down to squeeze his balls, pressed hard into Smith's side, and Ross on the other, and Smith just loses himself in it


End file.
